Avengers: Fanfiction
by sv4me
Summary: The Avengers discover fanfiction. Hilarity, feels, drama, romance, smut, and maybe some action ensue. Mainly Clint & Natasha, some Tony/Pepper and the whole team. Rated MA for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1: Pancakes and Fanfiction

"Avengers: Fanfiction"

**A/N: In this story the team has come together again and Stark has put them up in the now "Avengers Tower." At least some amount of time has passed since the first movie, and Clint has recovered from the mind control, & is back to his joking self. He and Natasha still haven't admitted their feelings for each other, however. Silly Clintasha. (I'm sure it'll all end up being AU after the next few movies probably) This will be a multi-chapter story. Maybe include bad guys in the future if requested.**

**I don't own anything. Just using these characters for discussion & to promote the movie & the comics. They rule you guys. The new Hawkeye comics are quite good (except the art in 4 & 5). Don't forget to lobby Marvel for Clintasha! (it looks like the comics are starting to move towards Clintasha! Keep telling them what we want & they'll respond, in comics and movies!)**

**This Chapter is rated "T" for swearing and discussing fan fiction pairings. **

Chapter 1: Pancakes and fan fiction

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Natasha loved Saturday morning rituals.

Every Saturday morning possible she would sleep in one extra hour. Then, after using the restroom, brushing her teeth, running a brush through her hair and throwing on sweats and a t-shirt she would stretch as she watched the sun come up over the city. Being 'friends' with a billionaire had its perks, and one of the best views in New York was one of them. Next she would grab a book and wander out to what the team had been using as a commons area. There would sit a steaming hot cup of coffee and pancakes with real syrup waiting for her, with a handsome archer with sleep ruffled hair and an apron that read "kiss the cook." Somehow he could always time it just right so everything was warm and waiting for her.

As always, he was nursing his coffee and hadn't starting on his own stack of pancakes yet. Seeing her enter the room his trademark grin flashed across his face and he greeted her with the same words he'd used when they first started this little routine, "good morning dear."

"In your dreams, Barton." Yes, some routines are comforting.

"Mmmm, you sure were, baby."

She sat down next to Clint without another word and opened her book. Steve was dumbfounded. He had watched this little practice every Saturday for months now, since the entire team had agreed to move into Stark tower. He had wondered why they bothered coming to the commons area; why they didn't make this their own private ritual, as each Avenger had their own apartment. Granted, the apartment kitchens were tiny and Stark had called them "guest suites" instead of individual apartments, but it was the nicest place Steve had ever lived. He even had a guest room in his "guest suite!" No, they were apartments, built around a beautiful and spacious commons area complete with a giant flat screen tv, pool table, fully-stocked and professional kitchen, and grand dining table. Thor had even hailed it as worthy of a grand feast of Asgard, and promised to bring his family one day. Thankfully that mess had yet to transpire.

But, Clint and Natasha were their own animal. They were so clearly meant for each other, but refused to admit it, even to themselves. Sometimes that infuriated Steve, that they would take such a thing for granted. He hadn't had the chance with Peggy. They shouldn't waste their chance. They shouldn't take each other for granted.

But, he had to consider who they were, and their extremely heart-breaking pasts and, especially childhoods. Looking at it through that lens, Steve could begin to understand why it was so difficult for them, especially Natasha, to open themselves to the vulnerability that is love. Honestly, when he considered it, he pitied them. He wished he could do something, but he didn't want to interfere or push them past their emotional capabilities.

Stark, on the other hand, did not keep in mind such considerations of politeness and boundaries when addressing the two. Over the last few months his, well, 'winning personality' had focused its attention on the resident SHIELD agents. Natasha had finally learned to deal with it without drawing a gun. Clint, however, had been taking Stark to task. Who knew the archer could banter like that! Well, Natasha likely. But Clint had been slow to come out of his shell after the 'New York Incident' and Loki. After he had finally accepted that his team members and comrades didn't blame him for his role in the death and destruction wrought by Loki, it had taken him even longer to forgive himself.

Perhaps that was why Natasha had insisted he cook for her in the commons. It brought him out of his 'nest,' and back into the world of the living. Plus it brought him into direct contact with Stark, who would not rest his mouth until he had pancakes of his own. The endless banter had seemed to be cathartic for Clint.

Speaking of…

"Awe, BlackHawk has landed, and provided a bounty of pancakes!"

Banner rolled his eyes, Natasha didn't even look up from her coffee, and Clint smirked. "Blackhawk now, eh Stark? That the best you could do?"

"Well, you know Katniss," the billionaire started as he made his way to the kitchen bar where the two sat. "I can only do so much without my morning coffee. Speaking of…"

He was looking at Natasha's coffee. Bad move. Before he could even begin to reach towards the cup she had been neglecting, and without even looking up from the book, she produced a knife from god-knows-where and thrust it into the beautiful redwood counter inches from her cup.

"Dammit Natasha! That's the fifth time this month! You know, it doesn't always buff out!"

She only chuckled, still not looking up from her book. Clint responded for her. "Man, you're lucky she gave you the warning and didn't just put it through your hand."

"Yeah yeah ok. The hazards of living with assassins I guess." He moved towards the stove. "Remind me again why I keep you two around?"

"Pancakes." Natasha stated simply, her mouth full with the same. Clint just chuckled.

"Didn't your evil Russian trainers ever teach you not to talk with your mouth full, Romanov?"

"Quite enough, Tony," Pepper's entry was right on time, and calming enough to take Tony down at least one notch, before he found himself in trouble. She walked into the kitchen, and found the batter that Clint had prepared for everyone but not cooked up yet. It was like that every Saturday - he would only cook for him and Nat, but prepped enough for everyone. "Ok if I cook these up Clint?"

"Not a problem, Pep."

"Now that's a gentlemen, doing all the prep for his friends." Pepper was doing it again, teasing Tony with the accomplishments of the other men in the building. This should be fun. At least it would take his attention off of Clint and Natasha for a while.

Tony responded with a dejected look. "Ms. Potts, you wound me. And don't flirt with the Hawk, I don't want to rush you to the hospital with a deadly spider bite."

So much for that plan.

"And why does he get to call you Pep, and if I try to call _The Black Widow_ by any nickname at all I take my life into my own hands?" Tony strutted over to the two assassins. Brave, but stupid. "Why does _HE_ get to call you anything under the sun, _including_ "baby?"

Clint put his head in his hands, groaning. Natasha set down the book, looking into Tony's eyes with a look of amused indifference. Pepper did her best to avert attention one more time.

"If you guys would like to take a seat at the table I'll have pancakes up in just a minute." The lovely smell as the batter hit the pan wafted throughout the room. Steve and Bruce moved to sit at the large table, while Tony leaned against the kitchen bar, doing his best to stare down Natasha.

"And sweet cheeks…" she cocked her head to the side ever so slightly. Clint started to fake-weep into his hands.

Stark leaned forward, getting into her space. He looked up with what was supposed to be an attempt at seduction. "And beautiful…"

Before anyone could blink Natasha had flipped over the counter, over Stark, and had him on his back on the ground. Pepper jumped, mid-pancake flip, and the food fell to the floor. Instead of pressing a gun to his temple or a knife to his throat, this time Natasha calmly walked back to her seat and resumed her reading like nothing had happened.

"Because he's gotten fast enough to counter me, Stark. You, on the other hand, have not."

Clint gave Tony his best "What can I do?" look as he got up from the kitchen floor, groaning.

Tony pointed at Clint. "YOU need to stop encouraging her."

"What did I say?!"

"Nothing."

"Exactly!"

"_Exactly._"

"Oh, come on, you two!" Pepper was getting annoyed as she wiped up a pancake from the floor. "It's like living with a couple of five year olds. Can't we just have a lovely quiet Saturday morning with cartoons or something?"

Thor emerged from his apartment, having arrived very late the night before after visiting a certain scientist. For a moment everyone watched him, thinking he would go turn on Saturday morning cartoons. He was especially entertained by an "Avengers" cartoon. That sure hadn't taken long. This time he sat at the table next to Steve, still groggy.

"Arrived for the feast, Thor?"

"Indeed, lady Pepper. I intend to take advantage of every opportunity that the warrior Hawk prepares the Feast of Pancakes. I appreciate your assistance in their preparation as well, m'lady. It will be a fine feast indeed."

The pile of pancakes by the stove was growing tall. Much was needed to feed this motley crew.

"Tony, why don't you go sit at the table with the other gentlemen," began Pepper.

"What, and leave Clintasha alone? I think they need a chaperone Pep."

Steve spoke up this time. "That's a new one Stark. Come up with that all on your own?"

"Actually, Capsicle," Tony began with a very mischievous look on his face. "That one I found online. At a lovely little site that features fan-fiction." Tony walked over to the table, Clint and Natasha watched him, interested now. Clint looked confused.

"Wait a minute. Someone out there on the internet called us that?"

Tony snickered. "Oh, it gets even better than that, BlackEye. Jarvis, table monitor please."

"Yes sir." The center of the table lit up, showing what appeared to be a desktop configuration.

Tony fiddled with a few things until a website filled the screen. It was a simple site, no flashy colors or pictures, and the team gathered around to watch him as he signed in.

"Tonyisawesome. Such an original sign-on name Stark."

"Hey now, Banner. I tried a lot of other stuff, and it was already taken! Like Tonyissexy, Ironman4me, IloveTonyStark, it goes on and on!"

"What exactly _is_ this Stark?" Natasha was starting to sound concerned. Clint looked over at her, then looked her up and down. He couldn't help it. She was bending over the table looking at the monitor. Even wearing baggy sweats and a t-shirt she was amazing. He actually preferred her in this, especially when she wore one of his old shirts. It was chauvinistic and possessive and she'd kill him if he told her but he loved it. Even when they slept together and they never actually _slept together_ because it was just to keep the nightmares at bay, he'd still toss her one of his t-shirts. Sometimes she'd roll her eyes and wear it. Sometimes he imagined she'd even smell it as she put it on. He sure as hell did later when she took it off.

"This, my friends, is fan-fiction. Ever since the _New York Incident_," Tony used his fingers to emphasize the title that SHIELD had given to the Avengers saving the world, "people have been going crazy speculating about us. Well, some people decided they'd just dream up their own little fantasies of how our lives should be, and they write up little stories. Avengers fan-fiction was born."

"What are they writing? Who are they writing about?" Steve sounded amused but also concerned.

"Well, pretty much everyone and everything." A huge grin exploded across Tony's face. "Apparently it's trendy to pair Loki with everyone, including Thor."

Bruce made a slight gagging noise, Steve gasped, Clint and Natasha exchanged glances, and Thor looked thoroughly confused. "What is this 'pairing' you speak of, sir Stark?"

Oh boy. This should be interesting.

A look of slight embarrassment spread across Tony's face. "Well, um, it's kindof like…"

Pepper sighed. "Don't mind the crazy people on the internet Thor. They pair up everyone and write what they'd like to see if the couple was romantic. It's silly and we should just move on with a lovely breakfast." She sat down a huge plate of towering pancakes. "Don't you all agree?"

But it was too late now. All Avengers, sans Tony, were shocked at this new revelation. "But my friends, Loki and I are brothers! Is this strange connection between siblings common amongst midgardians?"

Steve was quick to respond. "No! No, Thor, it's just that, on the internet, people are, well…"

"And this _internet_ that you speak of, is that a form of portal?"

Oh dear God.

"Hey so Bruce why don't you explain the finer points of technology to Thor later," Banner bowed his head in reluctant acceptance, "and we move on to the main attraction and the whole _reason_ I mentioned this at all!"

Tony started typing into the search box. Clint and Natasha saw their names entered. Natasha suddenly went pale. Clint noticed. Clint swallowed. Natasha noticed.

The page exploded with a long list of 'stories,' all with names or descriptions depicting the two spies. Well, looks like former spies now.

"Oh my god."

**OK, first chapter. What do you think? PLEASE PLEASE review! They make me feel special and happy **** Please follow this story too, & check out my other story. Flames will be burned, fyi, but constructive criticism is AWESOME. Also let me know if there's somewhere you'd like this to go besides releasing years of sexual tension for Clint & Natasha. Anyone want bad guys to complicate things? The past? Anything? I'm actually not completely done writing this time so I can include some plot twists if you want. I was considering maybe some bad guys also finding the fan-fiction & well, being bad, or maybe some copycats. I respond to the wishes of my readers! Hoping to update at least once a week, btw.**

**PS I swear I had the idea for Clint being good at pancakes before I read it in like 100 other fics. Guess it's generally accepted that a guy as awesome as Clint would be good at pancakes. **

**Anyone familiar with the characters willing to be my beta?**


	2. Chapter 2: You Tube?

"Avengers: Fanfiction"

**Wow, thanks so much everyone for the follows & reviews! You're awesome! You all got me so excited I'm updating early! I'm going to try to weave many ideas into the story. Look for yours. **** I still don't own anything, so don't sue.**

**Where we left off: our heroes were checking out for the first time - **

_**Tony started typing into the search box. Clint and Natasha saw their names entered. Natasha suddenly went pale. Clint noticed. Clint swallowed. Natasha noticed.**_

_**The page exploded with a long list of 'stories,' all with names or descriptions depicting the two spies. Well, looks like former spies now.**_

"_**Oh my god." **_

**Chapter 2 Rating: T for swearing & some suggestive ideas & discussions. **

Chapter 2: YOUTUBE?

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Natasha couldn't focus. The list went on and on. She could tell that the others were having a good laugh, looking at the titles and joking about crazy fans. She glanced over to Clint. He stood with his mouth agape, complete shock being the only outwardly visible emotion.

She looked back at the list. It all made sense now.

Fury had told them to take some time off, become a team with the Avengers, bla bla bla. He had kept the two of them on almost exclusively Avengers missions and training other agents, except for a couple miserable snatch & grabs in third world countries where they hadn't had running water or electricity for days.

She walked away, towards a couch, dazed. She was no longer a spy.

She braced herself against the couch, feeling slightly faint. She had been a spy and assassin for so long. For all of her life that she could really remember. Now everyone knew her face. Now everyone knew her name. Now what was she?

She felt Clint's hand against her back. He was doing his best to comfort her. Of course she would react this way. She was a spy, not a soldier. And then fate, it would seem, was forcing her to re-invent herself. A shock to anyone who had become so entrenched in their 'job,' if you called espionage and wet-work a 'job.' How was she supposed to be a spy, go undercover, when most of the world would be interrupting her surveillance to ask for her autograph?

He didn't move his hand, just left it there between her shoulder blades. He felt a bit of tension leave her frame, then spoke softly. "Tasha…"

"What, Clint?!" uh oh. Here come the fireworks. She spun out of his grasp and faced him, and the others jerked up their heads from their reading and laughing. "Is it all going to be okay?! Are we going to figure it out somehow?!"

He took a step back, "Tasha, no, I just…"

"Don't _Tasha_ me, Barton!" Bruce was starting to think she might have an 'other girl' in there. "Do you know what this means?! They even have pictures of us Clint, PICTURES!"

She collapsed onto the floor, quasi-hyperventilating but not quite crying, and Clint immediately caught her, holding her tight. The others were horrified. This was not the Black Widow. This was not the cool, collected, and sometimes joking Natasha they had come to know. What the hell was going on?

Pepper rushed over. "Oh Natasha, I'm so sorry!" Pepper seemed to be the only other person Natasha would allow comfort her at times. Pepper put a hand on her shoulder. "I didn't realize you didn't know. But you and Clint have been so busy with Avengers stuff, and training SHIELD agents, I guess you haven't had time to follow the news lately." She lowered her voice. "I'm so sorry. Please, if there's anything I can do…"

Natasha focused on her breathing. Just get through this moment and let out the anger in the gym. That would work. She leaned her head against Clint's chest, focusing on his heartbeat. That could always calm her down, even when it was racing. Which, come to think of it, it usually was if her head was against his chest…

Pushing _that_ thought out of her mind, because come on, one thing at a time, she stood and faced her teammates. Tony, Bruce and Thor were still in different levels of shock. Steve, however, was grim with understanding. "You had a good run, Natasha," he started, using his inspiring leader voice. The one he earned in THE war. "But now, it's time to be a soldier."

She stood up straight and nodded. But then bowed her head. "Sorry guys. It's all I've ever known. I was an idiot not to recognize what happened sooner. Maybe I didn't want to admit it." She left Clint's arms and returned to the table, sitting down next to pancakes, coffee, and fan-fiction. "Well, let's see what nonsense the civilians are saying. Might as well get a good laugh out of losing my job."

"But you're still here, and you're still a valuable asset, AND an Avenger…" Steve started, but Natasha stopped him with a wave of the hand. "I know Steve. It's just, well, so much of my skill set is based on espionage. So much of that is being able to become who I need to be for the job, and not be identified. Which, as it seems, will be impossible now." Steve looked like he was going to attempt a further debate, but she stopped him again. "No, Captain, don't worry about it. I know I'll adjust. I know there will still be jobs in places that hasn't heard of us or seen us. It's just something that's hard to let go after I've let it define me for so long."

No one could argue with that. Instead they sat down back down at the large table to finally enjoy the Feast of Pancakes and each other's company.

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Clint sat next to Natasha, and looked at her. She smiled weakly back to him, and sighed. Fact was fact, and that she could deal with. He grinned at her, and whispered into her ear. "Sparring later?" She chuckled. She responded, "Sounds like a great way to release anger and frustration to me." Now there's the Natasha he knew.

"So…" of course it would be Stark to try and break through the awkward silence. "Let's take a look at some of these fictions, SHALL WE? Then you two can FINALLY understand why I keep telling you to admit that you're a couple already."

Clint spoke up as Stark scrolled through the titles, trying to find a good one. "Something I don't understand. Sure, they got a few pictures of us here and there from the battle in the city. But where in the world would they get the idea we were, well, together? Or even partners?"

The Captain sighed. Tony laughed. "Don't you guys ever go to YouTube? Come on, you're EVERYWHERE in there! People have even put MUSIC to you!"

A new window popped up and videos appears, showing their faces. Showing their faces from _Helicarrier security footage_. "See, after New York some crazy hackers were intrigued. So, they went snooping around. They found a lot of stuff and posted it all over the place. They happened to find pretty much all of the security footage from the Helicarrier that day."

Natasha snickered. "Well, at least I can rest assured that they've either been killed or hired." Tony laughed, "yeah, a couple showed up dead the next week, and the rest have disappeared. It's all over the hackers rumor mill. Others have tried since then and haven't even got close. Guess these new guys really know what they're doing."

Clint looked over to Natasha, a sly grin forming. "We'll have to go say 'hi' to our new co-workers, give them a proper welcome." She shrugged her shoulders. "Probably won't be allowed to break any bones though. Maybe a nose?"

The group just laughed. Tony pulled up one of the videos. "Clint & Natasha : choose your last words…" began to play. The music started, then Coulson's voice, with those fateful words, echoed in their ears.

"Barton's been compromised."

They all froze.

The video continued as the stunned Avengers watched.

"Turn it off!" Clint's voice boomed out of nowhere. "Turn it off Stark! Jarvis!"

The video stopped, with a picture of a blond Natasha in the crosshairs of a high powered rifle. No one moved.

Clint lowered his head, and his voice. "Uh, sorry guys. Could we do this later? It's just a little much all at once…"

"Of course Clint," Started Steve, ever the gentlemen. "But, just so you know, I was informed by Fury that additional footage was obtained. They specifically went after footage of you two, and me, and found a treasure trove of previous missions. Even Peggy's face has been plastered all over the internet." How in the world anyone had been recording them at that time was beyond him, but as they say, military tech is always what, 30? 40 years ahead of what civilians know? "They have plenty of stuff on all of us. Which exposes weaknesses and makes loved ones targets."

Silence at the table once more. Could they not have a peaceful Saturday morning where doom wasn't around the corner?

"We'll have to discuss strategy regarding this threat eventually. Fury said he would be here Monday for a chat. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess it's about this mess."

"You mean clusterfuck."

"Yes, Clint, whatever that is. I'm really sorry guys. I just found this out myself. I thought we might get a break after last week's mess in Nigeria." They all groaned. That had just been miserable, and basically for nothing.

"Well, that's work for ya," Banner piped in. "How about pancakes?"

"Indeed friends, pancakes!" Thor, still looking confused, spoke with as much enthusiasm as possibly, inwardly hoping that Fury, or the Captain, or anyone, would take the time to explain all of this to him.

Pepper smiled and passed around their feast.

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Natasha smiled, enjoying those she could legitimately call 'friends,' her mouth full of pancakes. She noticed that Clint was having a hard time taking his eyes off the screen. Tony noticed it too.

"Well, I must say Spider, you make an excellent blond." This time it was Clint to wield the look of death, but Natasha brushed it off, and patted him on the hand. "It is what it is Clint. We're a team now. Come on. It'll be funny to see what kind of stuff SHIELD got footage of."

"Um, Nat, there's stuff you might not want them to see…"

"Well if it's on the internet it's out there and they can access it anytime they want. Well, maybe not Steve or Thor, no offense guys, you're not the best with the tech." The men nodded knowingly.

"Natasha, you don't don't have to…" Pepper started.

"No, I want to. Start it up Stark."

He smiled.

It started up again. Clint and Natasha were both amazed at the footage. So many missions. So many memories. But it seemed that they had only found solo missions and were pasting them together in a creative way so as to appear that they were together. The video showed Clint kissing a woman and pulling her hands above her head and onto a coat hanger. Clint promptly spit out his coffee all over the table. Natasha raised one eyebrow. Then Natasha in a man's shirt. Clint audibly gasped. Natasha groaned. Natasha at Hammond industries. Clint doing an undercover stint at SWAT. Then recent events all too familiar. It ended with the ominous words, in Natasha's own voice, "Love is for children, I owe him a debt."

The screen went blank, and she went pale again.

"They…" _just breath, Natasha,_ "they have footage of, _THAT_?"

Silence.

Tony cleared his throat. "Um, maybe we can come back to videos later. What'd ya say, Blackhawk?" His tone was conciliatory, his expression apologetic. "Say, how about a little fan fiction to lighten up the mood? That's what we came here for anyway…"

Bruce snorted. "That's what YOU came here for Tony. That and pancakes."

Clint cleared this throat. "Ok, ok. Nat? I'm game if you are. Fan fiction and pancakes?"

Natasha took a deep breath. Thor was still so confused. "Ok." Her look changed to mischief. "Let's see how the silly civilians fantasize about us."

Tony minimized Youtube and brought back up the fan fiction website. "So, who wants to choose our first selection for reading time kids?"

**Thanks to my betas Jabberswife, booknerdsunite14, brawler25! Also to my awesome reviewers: PandoraBird, booknerdsunite14, addictive, fff, slacker, Michelle, Guest (remember to sign in people so I can reply to your review if I have time!), ghost reader, Jerseycaramel, B The Shadow Ninja Samurai, hawkeyeforever, Diezi, Jabberswife, wolfhawke5912, brawler25, Party-Like-A-Hawkstar, and jgpkxc! Whew! and everyone following me & the story! Please keep up the reviews, follows & favs, it keeps me going. FYI the Youtube videos I referenced in this chapter are real. There's a lot of great Clintasha vids there, it's awesome. FYI for now I'll likely stick with updating once a week on Fridays, so I don't get behind. Once it's completely written I might speed that up a bit. Review prompt: what was your fav part, what could I do better & is there anything you'd like to see in a future chapter?**

**Don't forget to go online & lobby for Clintasha in the comics & movies! (Marvel website & anywhere else you can find.) PLUS so that Whedon doesn't kill off Hawkeye in A2! Aaaah! (& let me know if you can find a website to tell Disney/Whedon our desires). AND vote Scarlett / Renner for best on-screen chemistry for people's choice awards! Vote them 1,000 times! Maybe if we do Disney/Marvel/whoever will open their eyes and see the vast market there, & they'll get their own movie or something awesome.) I'll stop now. My A/Ns are getting hella long! **


	3. Chapter 3:Clint and Natasha read a story

"Avengers: Fanfiction"

**Chapter 3 Rating: M for some naughty stories!**

**A/N: So, a couple of people are going to read a story out loud. Words in Bold are words directly out of the story. Words in **_**italics **_**are someone's thoughts. Disclaimer: yeah, still don't own anything but the story idea. HOWEVER, I would be willing to practically DONATE that and all the content etc to Marvel & Disney for the low-low price of a Clintasha ship & no character death contractual guarantee… ;)**

**Where we left off last time: still trying to eat those pancakes. Abandoned youtube. Going back to :**

_**Tony minimized Youtube and brought back up the fan fiction website. "So, who wants to choose our first section for reading time kids?"**_

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Chapter 3: Clint and Natasha read a story

They scanned the page. So many choices. Natasha looked to the top. "Well, looks like much more to choose from then what's on this page." She pointed to the number showing over 1,000 videos meeting the search criteria for "Clint and Natasha." Bruce whistled. "Wow. Talk about fans."

Clint looked up. "I say we rochambeau for it." Natasha chucked. "No Clint, we shouldn't hurt our friends, remember?" He feigned mock disappointment.

"Rock, Paper, Scissors?"

They all shrugged.

"Good idea as any, Pep." Tony stood up. "Who shall challenge me for the right to choose a story?" he declared in his best Thor impression.

Thor stood to accept the challenge.

After at least five full minutes of attempting to explain how to even play the game, Pepper took Thor aside to continue some instruction while Bruce challenged Tony. Then Steve challenged Tony. Then Clint challenged Tony. How was he so good at this? Finally Natasha won. Ladies choice.

She scanned over the choices. Good lord some of this stuff was nuts. So many marriage and baby fics. Plus having to wade through all the Slash pairings for Clint, which made her giggle. Yes, actually giggle. Finally she found one.

"Five Times Natasha Saved Clint's Ass," she announced. An evil grin crossed her face. "Sounds realistic enough to me."

Clint just rolled his eyes and huffed. This should be interesting.

"And since I won I also get to choose who reads it." Natasha announced this new rule, which she would later regret. "Clint, if you would please."

"But Naaaaat…" they all rolled their eyes at the whine. "But I can't eat pancakes if I'm reading!"

Pepper and Thor returned. Thor's brow scrunched as he continued practicing the game.

"We'll try next time around," she announced as they sat back down. "Any winners?"

"Yes, oh love of my life, Clint was just about to start reading, and the rest of us were about to start eating. Sound about right, Natasha?"

"I'll agree with you on that one, Tony." Clint sighed, pushing his cooling pancakes to the side and looked down at the screen.

The archer cleared his voice.

"Five times Natasha saved Clint's Ass."

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He stalled. "How much of this do you want me to read? It has a bunch of stuff here before the actual story…"

"Well, what does it say?"

"So I should just read everything?"

"Ug, just read it this first time and we can decide it it's necessary for later stories."

Bruce sighed. "Glad I didn't have any plans for today."

He went on a little ways, then stopped. "What's a 'ship?' The author says that they 'passionately ship' this pairing."

Blank looks answered him. "Ok then. Continuing on."

He stops for a moment. "We are NEVER drinking together as a team." Tony grins wide, and looks to Natasha. "Hmm. Future idea, but we can discuss later. Please continue Barton."

"Ok, so this is obviously from Nat's perspective." He reads on, then stops. "Well Clint?" He clears his voice, and begins reading. "**It's also the first time, according to Clint, that you kiss him**." Natasha breaks out into laughter. He continues.

And almost immediately stops again, his mouth open, and shakes his head. These writers have very dirty minds. "**The fact is, when you found Clint, he was tied naked and spread-eagled to a bed**_…"_

This time it was the Captain's turn to spit out his orange juice. The entire table burst into laughter. "Oh god, Clint," Natasha could hardly contain herself. "Either these people have no respect for you or they have very naughty thoughts about you."

"I'm going to go with option two, thank you very much."

From there the story gets dark, and Clint begins to summarize. He gets to the end where he thinks it's safe to read in full again but, of course, the author has included them kissing again. He tries to skip it but Banner catches him. "Take your medicine, bird brain," Stark teases.

He ends it and they all sit quietly. Natasha looks down. Looks like the info on her 'upbringing' is pretty close. She HAD been cold-blooded. They had made her that way.

Tony cleared his throat. Still more pancakes left. He just HAD to win this round. If he could watch their reactions, maybe he'd be able to tell. And if they weren't YET… then maybe…

"Ok kids, who's next to beat the mighty Iron Man at rock, paper, scissors?" He won.

The bellowed in triumph, attempting his best Hulk. Everyone groaned.

"Alright Clintasha, here we go! Natasha, my dear, YOU will be reading a lovely little fiction, well, _alleged_ fiction, called "favors."

He maximized the story on the screen. Natasha looked it over. Oh shit.

"**Clint is bedridden, and Natasha is… helpful**."

The story continued with warnings that it was basically porn.

Oh dear God.

"uh, Cap, you might want to leave for this one."

She diligently soldiered through, Pepper gasping and leaving to "um, work on the dishes" when it got quite explicit. Natasha was at first a little flush herself, but then decided to have fun with this. She started giving eye contact as she read, pursing her mouth, and adjusting her position to something a little more, well, sexy. She even went as far as the touching the leg under the table trick with a couple of the guys, which got a blush from Stark and got Clint to adjust his seating position. Oh yes, this could be quite entertaining.

But, alas, the end of the story was near. She continued to read.

"**She leaned forward, but instead of meeting his lips, she pressed a kiss to his temple**." She mimicked the actions with Clint, sitting down in his lap. Tony's mouth dropped. The Captain had gone to, uh, fix something, a while ago. She continued the story. "**'It was just a favor,' she murmured against his ear**," which Natasha promptly mimicked, earning a barely audible gasp from Clint, "**and yes, that answered his questions, but it definitely wasn't the answer he wanted. He turned his head to press his nose against her neck and inhale**…"

This time it was Clint's turn to play along, and to her surprise, he did. She swallowed, and continued on, her voice slightly raspy, "**and he felt her lips part when his kissed her there**." He did. She did. Her breath caught. Banner's mouth hung open.

She continued. There was no way in hell she could stop now, it would be like admitting it was all true. She shifted her weight ever so slightly, and felt his erection pressing into her hip. Dear god. Was it all true?

"**Just a favor, his ass. He could feel the heat between her**…" Natasha stopped and grimaced.

"You made Barton do it! Take your medicine, Natasha Romanoff!" Tony was almost wild with laughter. "Finish that story!"

She did. "…**between her legs seeping through his sweatpants. But if that was how she wanted to play it, he thought as she got up**…" _thank god_ she thought as she stood, or he really would have felt _her_, "…**there wasn't much he could do about it in this state. He would just have to be patient**."

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When the others realized the story had come to an end Thor stood and roared in applause. The others broke out into applause and laughter. "My friends! What an amazing performance! It would rival the very courts of Asgard!"

"I think, Thor, they may have had to act together before in a few missions." Banner was doing his best to give them an out. "Right Clint?"

"_Cute kittens chasing string, puppies with big, floppy paws trying to run, cold showers, cold showers, cold showers under glacial waterfalls…"_

"Uh, Clint?"

"_freezing glacial showers, freezing glacial showers… control the breathing, tensing wire, relax the hand…"_

Natasha woke him from his erection-reducing trance with a smack to the back of the head. "Wake up, Barton."

"Yeah, uh, that's about enough of fun time with your friendly neighborhood assassins." Clint adjusted his pants as he stood. "Next time we read YOURS, Stark."

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They all laughed and started cleaning up. Inevitably it was left to Pepper and Natasha as Tony got Thor confused about a television show and the rest of the men 'assembled' to put in their two cents. Natasha saw the other woman look towards her, clearly wishing to say more.

"Go ahead Pepper, it's ok. Tell me what you're thinking."

Pepper let out a slight sigh. "Natasha, the more I've come to know you the more impressed I am with you. Not with your skills, although they are considerable. No, I'm constantly surprised at the depth of your heart."

Well, that wasn't what she expected.

"Pepper, I…"

"Just listen for a sec, Natasha," Pepper pleaded in her polite and caring way as she placed a towel on the counter. "You may think you're a terrible person for what you've done in your past. I get it. I understand that. But I want you to know that I, that we all, see past that. You've allowed us to get to know a bit of the REAL Natasha. You've opened up a little of your heart to us. And it's beautiful, Natasha."

A frown crossed Natasha's face. How could anyone think that of her?

Pepper continued. "So many people in this world allow their job to define them, and they pay the price emotionally for it. You don't have to. Please don't. You'll certainly be entering a new phase in your life now, considering what you've learned. I hope you'll use this opportunity to learn about who Natasha really is," Pepper placed her hand of Natasha's heart, "in here."

Natasha was at a complete loss. She had no idea how to process such information, much less how to react to it. Her discomfort must have been quite obvious, as Pepper took her into a gentle hug, and released her quickly.

"I know you probably won't believe what I've said for some time, Natasha. But just think about it. You'd agree that Clint is a good person, that he has a heart of gold, yes?"

Natasha could do nothing but nod her head slightly.

"Of course you do. We all do. And YOU are the person that Clint holds as his closest confidant and friend. That's saying something."

A small smile did finally cross Natasha's lips. Pepper moved besides Natasha, putting her arm around her and starting to lead her out of the kitchen. Natasha allowed her to.

"And you CAN'T have missed the way he looks at you. A man wouldn't trust you with his heart like Clint has if you weren't trustworthy."

Natasha stopped in her tracks. "Pepper…"

"No, nevermind Natasha. We don't have to have any more girl talk. Why don't you go relax a little, work out or something. Think about what I said." Pepper turned to walk back into the kitchen. "You don't have to reinvent yourself, just your job."

Pepper went back to the dishes, leaving a stunned Natasha. Not knowing what to do next, she headed for her apartment so she could change and go to the tower's gym.

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**My betas Jabberswife, booknerdsunite14, brawler25 & jgpkxc continue to rock! Special thanks to chapter 2 reviewers: SevenFawkes, wolfhawke5912, ghost reader, operaghost96, hawkeyeforever, LimelightStreak, KeySlinger, Alpha Rlyer and Ksenia Kenobi! Please keep up the reviews, follows, favs & suggestions for future chapters! Also, the stories referenced in here are real. Free advertising for them! PS, a cookie for whoever can find the comics mini-quote in this chapter.**

**Don't forget to go online & lobby for Clintasha in the comics & movies! BTW, go buy the comic "Secrete Avengers #1" in Feb. That is, if you want to find out what really happened in Budapest. No fooling. Check out the preview pics on the marvel website. See you all next update! Get ready for some sexual tension, my friends! **


	4. Chapter 4: Ballet and Sparring

"Avengers: Fanfiction"

**Deadpool hasn't come through for me yet so I still own nothing. Was going to slightly address Budapest but I changed it to a different mission because I found out Marvel will address that in Feb '13 in "Secrete Avengers #1," which you should all PRE-order at your local comic shop & tell them why so Marvel knows what we want. See preview drawings at ! **

**Chapter 4 is Rated "M" for suggestive sparring & language, to be safe. Spoiler: no sex yet though. Sorry gang. The comics cookie from last chapter was Clint saying to himself "control the breathing, tensing wire, relax the hand" which is from the new Hawkeye comics series (which you should all buy) describing his focus as he shoots.**

**Where we left off last time: Natasha just finished reading "favors," which was basically Clintasha porn. Pepper and Natasha had a good talk. Nat is off to the gym. What will happen next?**

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Chapter 4: Ballet & Sparring

The gym was a little chilly when Natasha arrived. She ignored it, preferring the cold, and began stretching in preparation for a lengthy and vigorous workout. She had a lot of… stuff… to work out of her head today. Exhausting herself should do the trick.

She had already completed one rotation of weights and cardio when Clint got into a position where he could see her. She was extremely difficult to sneak up on, and doing it through the vents was tough and slow. And cold. She always kept it cold in there. He settled into position, content to watch for a while. He wanted to be there if she needed him, but didn't want to be in the way if she needed a little time alone.

Knowing that Natasha could spend quite a bit of time here, and not wanting to get too bored, Clint pulled out his smart phone. Tony kept wi-fi accessible throughout the building, and Clint found he could get decent reception even in the air ducts. Unable to stave his curiosity, Clint went to fanfiction . net and typed in his and Natasha's names. Right up at the top was that fateful story, 'favors.' Clint opened it and began to read.

That was a bad idea.

He reaches the end of the story and a massive hard-on is threatening to make his current perch impossible. If only he could just take care of it right here, watching Natasha. Watching beads of sweat run down her clavicle, down between her breasts…

_Snap out of it Barton!_ No way was this happening. She'd know. He'd surely find some way to screw it up, most likely by making too much noise. Besides, she was his _partner_. Above all, she needed to trust him, and he _needed_ her to trust him. He couldn't take any chance at losing her. He just had to calm down. He could just deal with all this sexual frustration later in the shower. Nothing new there.

He ran through several archery exercises in his head.

Feeling sufficiently calmed, he put away his phone, making a mental note ONLY to read fan-fiction in private. Later that night, preferably.

Natasha had moved on to a punching bag. Perhaps she'd be interested in sparring soon. Carefully, quietly, he moved from the vent onto one of the ceiling rafters. Here he remained out of sight though his view was reduced. Reluctantly he focused on listening instead of watching.

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Natasha paused only slightly when she noticed a barely audible sound. She didn't turn to look, but identified it as coming from one of the vents back by the sparring mats. She allowed herself a very slight smile. Of course he had come.

_Ever the gentleman_, she thought to herself. Somehow Clint just knew her. Knew when to be obnoxious, silly or serious, knew when he could push her and when to give her space to think. _When did this happen?_ She thought as she pounded away her frustrations. She was the Black Widow. THE Black Widow. She was, by definition, a solo agent. An emotionless killer. But Clint had spared her life and then weaved his way into it. He had brought out parts of herself she didn't even know existed. She had heard geniune laughter on her voice for the first time in… decades? She had felt safe with another person for the first time as long as her memory would allow. He had become her partner and friend. She had been caught in HIS web.

But, if she was honest with herself (and why the hell not? Demi-gods and aliens exist, so honesty shouldn't be too much of a stretch, should it?), she couldn't bring herself to regret the change. She had never really been able to rely on anyone before in her life. She'd never really had an honest-to-god friend before in her life. She found she enjoyed both. Their closeness wasn't a weakness. They understood each other so well now that they worked as one cohesive unit. They worked seamlessly together, able to communicate in ways others couldn't understand or even see. They always had each other's backs, but respected each other enough to know when to let the other fight. They were stronger together than alone. They were simply the best team SHIELD had ever seen.

But that kind of closeness didn't come without weakness, and risk. In learning each other, they had grown to care for one another. She had always told herself it was platonic and that both Clint and her were too professional to allow their partnership to become sexual or romantic. But she knew she was lying to herself. She had just been so successful at ignoring it and pushing down the feelings. It's how she was trained. It was all she knew. Connection with another person makes you weak. Feelings for another person make you vulnerable, and make that person a target.

But she did remember Tijuana. She remembered lying in a pool of her own blood, the coldness seeping into her bones, the feel of Death Herself approaching. She remembered not wanting to die without telling Clint that she loved him. What she couldn't remember was if she actually said anything out loud, or if she had been able to speak at all with all the blood choking her throat. She thought back to that day often. At the end of it all, she had wanted him. She had wanted love, despite rejecting it, despising it even, all of her life. She had tried to forget Tijuana, but she couldn't. She would have to face it sooner or later.

After the "New York Incident" she had been certain they would face it then. But Clint was so unstable that she feared losing him altogether, so they had fallen back into their comfortable routine of amazing partners and flirting.

Fate, it appeared, wished to press the issue. She hadn't realized how obvious she had been. She was the great Black Widow, capable of suppressing her emotions and playing any role, but thousands of people throughout the world saw through her and saw her desire, her need even, for Clint. How could she have been so obvious?

Then there was Clint. She had been ignoring HIS obvious signs towards her for so long. She would tell herself that as a straight man, of course he would be interested when he looked at her. She had ignored his playful flirting as just his personality. She had re-characterized their intense, deep friendship as a good partnership. She had pushed out of her mind the way he touched her gently after a tough mission, the way his stormy blue eyes looked sometimes when he stared straight into what soul she had left…

She snapped out of her thoughts, realizing she had stopped her workout and was grasping the punching bag and leaning her forehead against it in frustration. _He's watching_, she reminded herself, so she moved to the sparring area to stretch. He'd be up in the rafters now, and she'd likely be able to spot him if she looked, but she didn't. He would come to her if she needed him, but she wasn't quite ready to face him. She had to get her head back together.

She knew just how to center herself. But to let him watch? She had always kept this little part of herself so private. She had told Clint about it, but she'd never danced in front of him before. It was the one beautiful thing she had received from the Red Room. The one thing they had taught her that was good. It made her nervous to let others see it. How fucked up was that? That she was so far gone that she didn't WANT others, her friends even, to see something about her that was good? Pepper was right. She shouldn't be afraid of who she is.

Clint was her closest friend and her partner. She sighed. Deep down, in the heart that she spent so much time hiding from herself even, she knew she wanted to let him in more. She wanted to be even closer to her Hawk. HER Hawk.

Before she could talk herself out of it she ran over to a locker and entered the combination.

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Clint was intrigued. He'd always wondered what was in that locker. He didn't even know it was Nat's, she always used a different one. She started to strip out of her sweat-soaked clothes and he steadied his breathing. No use getting riled up again. She might want to spar, and that can be quite painful (not to mention embarrassing) with an erection.

She was putting on what appeared to be light blue leggings. Interesting. Then a tight, long-sleeved shirt, also light blue. Clint marveled at how the blue amplified the red in her hair and complimented her pale skin. He wished she would turn towards him so he could see her eyes. He knew they would be beautiful.

He snapped out of it when he realized what she was putting on next. A delicate skirt. Over the leggings. A delicate little _ballet_ skirt.

Now, he wasn't a refined man, and he'd never even attended a ballet, but he knew the outfit when he saw it. My god. She was going to dance, and he was going to finally see it.

His normal first reaction would be to prepare rounds of sarcasm to tease her for such a dainty hobby. But he had learned long ago what ballet had come to mean to her. It was the sole solace she had during her time with the Red Room. To Clint, it seemed the only outlet Natasha had for her heart, as she still refused any other such expression.

She finished tying ribbon up her legs, securing her toe shoes, and Clint was entranced. He had seen Natasha wearing exotic dresses and tens of thousands of dollars in jewels. He had seen her blood soaked with a tattered uniform. He had seen her wearing just his t-shirt, and he had seen her in nothing at all. But when she started to move he wondered if he had ever seen anything more beautiful.

While the others would continue to wonder where she got her fluid fighting style, Clint now knew. She moved about the hardwood floor with the grace and beauty of angels. She could put any professional ballerina to task. She was amazing.

She looked up to the vent he had crawled from and let a mischievous smirk slip before returning to her dance. Clint held his breath. So, she knew he was there. She had known for a while in fact. Yet she was dancing. For him.

He noticed a rhythm in her dance. Was there something specific she was dancing? He noticed some interesting movements by her hands. Almost like she was imitating the fluttering of a bird…

A smirk crossed his lips. So, she did want to play.

It would be impossible to sneak up on her at this point, so a distraction was necessary. He considered the quiver of arrows he had grabbed. It was small enough to wear through the vents, but that meant less choices. In particular, he had grabbed the quiver containing a few _experimental _arrows from Stark, so in case Natasha didn't want company at all he could go try them out. This should be interesting.

He quietly unclipped his folded bow from the quiver and prepared to strike.

In one fluid motion he leapt from his perch, sprung open his bow and rolled out of the landing. Natasha spun to face him, feigning surprise and producing a knife from god-knows-where. Clint chuckled softly as he continued his jog towards her and sent the knife flying from her hand with a small tipped arrow before she could make a move with it. He sent the next arrow deep into the punching bag she had been abusing earlier. In the moment he had turned his body (but not his eyes) towards the bag she had pulled out another knife.

"Do you have an overwhelming urge to die, Barton? Any just what did that bag do to you?"

"Just an overwhelming urge to kiss you darlin', but a man's gatta be careful when trying to sneak up on a deadly spider." His smirk was never ending even as he advanced on her position. "And you looked pretty upset at that bag so I thought I'd do you a favor."

She rolled her eyes. "Do you ever get less annoying?"

She threw her knife between his legs, the tip planting itself into the mat he stood on. He stopped.

"So, you put down the rest of the weapons you're hiding and I'll put down my bow and we'll try to kill each other like civilized people?" The grin was all the answered he needed. They removed all weapons, not taking their eyes off one another. Clint couldn't hide the grin that was spreading across his face, and Natasha put on her best "I'm going to wipe the floor with you" face.

"Just what are do you think is so funny Barton?" she asked as he continued his prowl towards her.

"You'll find out soon enough Romanoff." His grin had grown to a full-face smile. He was taunting her now. He stopped, leaving enough space between them that one of them would have to charge to get this started. Natasha took the bait.

As soon as she leapt towards him he pushed a small button on his arm guard. The arrow that was embedded in the punching bag exploded, shaking the building, and sending a surprised Natasha tumbling into the air.

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The building shook with the force of the explosion.

Tony and Bruce looked up for their experiments. "What the fuck was that?!"

Jarvis was quick to respond. "That sir was one of your experimental arrows exploding in the gym."

"I knew Barton would like that one. Wait, did you say the GYM?"

"Yes sir, Agent Barton detonated it after shooting a punching bag."

"What the hell?! Deploy!" Tony began suiting up.

"I'll just finish up the experiment here…" Bruce mumbled.

"Oh no, you're not getting out of this one Brucey. You're coming too!" Tony grabbed Bruce's arm and went storming out of the Lab.

They joined Steve and Thor who were running down the stairs. "He's a dead hawk!"

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_Very graceful Romanoff, _Natasha thought to herself as her body hurled through the air uncontrolled. Clint sprung into action. Catching her before she could fall he braced her body but then flipped her hard onto her back, knocking the wind out of her lungs. As she continued gasping for breath he flipped her again onto her stomach, pressing her down with his body weight and holding her hands above her head by her wrists.

She continued to gasp for breath and Clint chucked, breathing into her ear. "If only all those fans could see us now, what a delightful little fiction they could write about this position."

_Patience, Natasha_, she told herself. This was going to be fun.

He shifted his weight, swiftly bringing her arms down to her sides and sitting up so his crotch was digging into her ass. He was trying very hard to keep things, well, under control. He brought her hands together behind her back, securing them both with one hand. He then gently, slowly, slipped the other hand under her waist and pulled her up to him. "Or maybe this one?"

She let out a gasp as he pushed her ass into what she could now feel was a hardening member of his. The sound was enough of a distraction to Clint that he paused ever so slightly. That was what Natasha had been waiting for.

With dexterity Clint would later swear he'd only seen before with Chinese twins at the circus, Natasha slipped her legs out from under Clint, under herself, and pushed up into his chest. The two went flying backwards, and Clint landed hard on his back, Natasha adding to the weight. Now it was his turn to gasp for breath. She hopped up as he struggled for breath and placed a hard toe on his chest.

"You were saying, Barton?"

He coughed and wheezed as he caught his breath. "You are… every man's… worst nightmare, Tasha."

She couldn't restrain a smile as she removed her toe shoe from his chest. "I'll take that as a yield then."

"Not on your life."

He tried to sweep her feet out from under her but she back-flipped out of the way at the very last moment. They resumed their sparring match, Natasha in her ballet outfit and shoes, Clint in his SWAT gear and boots.

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The other four Avengers rounded the corner to the gym, about to burst in when they skidded to a stop. There was Pepper, hands crossed over her chest, guarding the gym door.

"Whoa, Pep? What's going on?"

"Don't you worry about anything Tony. You all go back to what you were doing. Everything is fine here."

They all looked confused. "Pepper, we need to investigate to make everything is ok," Steve replied.

"They're just fine Steve." _Oops. She said 'they're.'_

"THEY? Natasha's in there too?" _Oh no, she'd just unleashed the monster._ "Now I've GOT to see this!"

Pepper stepped forward putting her hand on Tony's armored chest. "Tony Stark you stay right there and don't move! They need to work things out on their own! Give them a little privacy!"

"Not when they're blowing up my building!"

"Honestly Pepper we really are worried, that was a significant explosion."

"We really do need to check on our teammates, Pepper."

"They could be having SEX in there!"

Tony, Bruce and Steve were all crowding her now, trying to convince her to allow them to pass without forcibly moving her. Tony had clearly shifted from concern and anger to curiosity, but the others weren't so sure. They had all forgotten about Thor, who threw open the door with a loud bang, wielding his hammer, prepared to defend his friends against any enemy.

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Clint had her pinned again, against the wall, her hands over her head. He pushed his full weight against her into the wall, and kept his face against her neck so she wouldn't be able to head-butt him, but trusting her not to bite him. He had her on her toes so she couldn't get good leverage with her legs. They continued to struggle, Clint trying to use his strength and weight to keep his advantage and Natasha trying to find a way to wriggle out of the trap.

"Yield, my little spider?*" (spoken in Russion. I'm too lazy to translate) Teasing again. Sparring with Clint wouldn't be the same without it.

"I'm not done yet Barton." She wrapped her legs around his waist and tried to use her leverage against the wall to push him back. It took every bit of strength he could muster, but he held.

"Mmmm, yet another titilizing position for our readers Nat. Maybe WE should start writing these stories…"

She kept squirming, unwilling to admit defeat, looking for an opening. "In your dreams, Hawkeye."

He whispered into her ear, almost sounding sincere, "You always are, sweetheart."

Just then Thor burst through the door, hammer raised.

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He lowered his hammer some.

"Lady Natasha? Warrior Clint?" They didn't move, just stared in surprise at Thor, who looked very uneasy. "Is all well my friends?"

Natasha lowered her legs. Clint released her hands and angled his body to stand in front of Natasha slightly, somewhat hiding her. Natasha's heart instantly ached. He was shielding her. She had never shown anyone else her dancing, or even her ballet outfit. He was trying to keep it that way.

"It's ok Thor, we're just sparring." Thor visibly relaxed. He had observed their 'sparring', even participated some, a few times in the past. It was an amazing thing to watch. No warriors in Asgard could spar as these two did with each other. It was a language all their own.

"I am sorry to interrupt my friends. We all heard an explosion and rushed to your aid…"

"We? Who else is here?" Natasha sounded a bit uneasy.

"We all are here, m'lady. Pepper is detaining the others at the moment, but…"

As if on cue, Tony rushed in, followed by Steve. Bruce and Pepper slowly followed behind.

Clint turned to check on Natasha, but she was already gone. He sighed. They had been having so much fun. She might have even danced for him more…

"What's going on in here? Where's Natasha? Why did you blow up a punching bag?"

Clint sighed and looked down. Tony flew over to him with a small burst from his suit. He opened his mask, revealing his grinning face. His voice was lower this time, with a slight hint of humor. "What's happenin' Legolas? Just what kind of fireworks did we interrupt?"

Clint looked up at him with a look to kill. "Fuck off Tony." He turned and walked towards the locker rooms and murmured to himself, but just loud enough that Tony could hear, "cock-blocker."

Tony was stunned. The others walked up to him as Clint entered the _women's_ locker room.

Steve started the conversation, "What was all that about?"

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Clint walked into the locker room, unable to contain the grin plastered on his face. Natasha was almost out of her ballet outfit and hurrying to change into something that Tony wouldn't tease her about later. "NOW what's so funny, Clint?" She was significantly relaxed now that the outfit was safely tucked away in a gym bag.

"Messing with Stark is fun. I think I may be able to make a significant amount of money off of him…"

"Oh no, not again. One round of the SHIELD rumor mill is enough for me Barton. You don't have to get Avengers tower in on it too."

"Awe, you're no fun." He sat down, his back to her, as she finished changing. When she was done she put her hand on his shoulder. "Thanks Clint."

"For what?"

"Keeping the others from seeing my, outfit."

He stood and faced her. "That's what partners are for."

"Yeah."

They stood in silence for a moment, not sure what to say.

Before his courage could fail him, Clint took Natasha into a tight hug.

"Thank you Nat. The dancing was beautiful."

She didn't know how to respond, just pressed the side of her face against his chest, closing her eyes. Clint's heart ached. Natasha listened to its rapid beating.

After a few moments Natasha would not allow herself any more indulgence so she let go and looked up at Clint with a mischievous grin.

"So what was that all about Barton? Haven't had you make an entrance like that for sparring since, I can't remember when."

"Oh come on Nat. I saw the way you were mocking me with your fluttering bird motions." He attempted to imitate and looked ridiculous. Natasha laughed.

"You uncultured Neanderthal. I was dancing the Firebird." She laughed even more at the look of confusion on Clint's face. "I'll get you to a Ballet one day Barton, you just wait." She laughed more when he made a motion to gag himself. "Not to say that the interruption wasn't unwelcome. It's always fun to kick your ass."

"That's not quite how I remember it sweetheart."

"You and your memory Clint. You're really going to have to get that checked out." She looked up at a vent. "Race you back to the kitchen? I'm hungry for some lunch."

"You're on."

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**Well there you go. A little longer chapter. You like? BTW "Firebird" is an awesome Russian ballet – music by Igor Stravinsky. Special thanks to my betas: brawler25, Jabberswife & jgpkxc, thanks to the reviewers of chapter 3: wolfhawke5912, SevenFawkes, Randomer, ILoveAnime89, ghost reader, & Guest. Please keep up the reviews, follows & favs. They keep me writing, even through the writer's block! (which is why I've been updating once a week, so I don't get behind, but if my muse cooperates I'll try to update more often, really I will!) Anyone catch the random movie quote in this chapter?**

**Having trouble finding the preview pages for "Secrete Avengers #1 (AKA the one where they do Budapest)?" OK, so go to marvel . com. Then at the top go to news, then comic news, then I think it's on the bottom of page 4 & it's labled "Secrete Avengers Marve Now! Live blog." The pics are at the bottom. Also, to lobby for Clintasha for the comics & movies on that same website go to Fans (at the top), then Forums, and look for Avengers in the categories of Movies and Marvel Omniverse. I post there as ROMY4me. **

**REVIEW PROMPT: I want the guys to tease Tony about some of his fanfics. Tell me your fav Tony fanfic & I might use it!**


	5. Chapter 5: a little private reading

"Avengers: Fanfiction"

**Don't sue, I don't own anything, just doing this to promote the movies & comics.**

**Wow, thanks so much everyone for the follows & reviews! You're awesome! I'm going to try to weave as many ideas as possible into the story. Look for yours. **

**This chapter is rated "MA" for language, Mature stories, and self-pleasuring. Be warned.**

**Where we left off last time: Clint watched Natasha workout from the vents. Then Natasha danced for Clint (ballet). Then they sparred, & Clint enjoyed making up positions to write fan-fiction about, but nothing actually happened yet. The guys interrupted them, & Clint and Natasha stopped for lunch. Note: in this chapter Clint and Natasha read more fan-fiction, this time to themselves. I put the words from the story they read **_**in italics**_** to help with clarity.**

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Chapter 5: A little private reading

The rest of the day passed normally enough. Hill called to set up a meeting at the tower with Fury the next morning. The team went about their different activities and jobs. Pepper went back to work. Tony and Bruce went to their respective labs. Thor disappeared to New Mexico, promising to return tomorrow morning for the meeting. Clint, Natasha and Steve went about their SHIELD duties separately for the day, checking up on contacts, doing research and a very brief surveillance for Clint. No one hardly saw each other for the rest of the day.

Come 9:00 p.m. Clint still hadn't eaten dinner yet and the fridge in his apartment was bare. No surprise there. He walked into the commons kitchen to see what he could find. Steve was there, slowly eating a bowl of soup.

"There you are Clint. I was hoping to run into you tonight."

"What's up Cap?" Clint went about the business of making a sandwich.

"I've already spoken to everyone else about a little assignment for tonight. Since Fury will be here tomorrow morning for a meeting I thought we should prepare for it."

Clint turned from gathering ingredients from the fridge to look at Steve. "What kind of prep did you have in mind?"

Steve shifted a tad in his chair and looked down. "Well, considering I'm quite certain what tomorrow's topic of discussion will be regarding, I'm thinking we should make ourselves somewhat knowledgeable about what's out there." He looked up then, meeting Clint's eyes. "I've asked every Avenger, well, except Thor, to do some internet research tonight. I'd like everyone to look up what they can find on themselves on the internet so we can have a good starting point with Fury."

Clint went back to his food. Ah. So it was going to be a late, and uncomfortable night.

"Clint," Steve paused, uncertain on how to proceed next. He deeply admired and respected the archer, but he wasn't sure how to talk with him about what would likely be a very personal topic. He sighed. "there's probably some stuff out there that you'd rather not dig up again. I just want you to be prepared, so it's not a huge shock to the system tomorrow morning."

Clint didn't turn. "They have footage of Coulson's death, don't they." It wasn't really a question.

Steve sighed again. "Yes."

"They have footage of me killing innocent people, don't they."

"Yes."

"They have footage of, Natasha and I…" he paused.

Steve jumped in before Clint could continue. "Everything that happened on the Helicarrier Clint, and a lot of other stuff. They didn't get everything, but it's more than enough."

Clint shifted uncomfortably. It was going to be one hell of a night.

"I know it's a big ask Clint, and I'm sorry. What I'm wanting everyone to do it look into what is out there on themselves for tonight. If we can get some kind of idea of the scope of this thing maybe we'll have some solutions for Fury. I haven't had the chance to do complete research yet, and I'm guessing a lot of this stuff is going to be very personal, so I'd like to start with everyone looking up themselves first."

Clint sat down across from the Captain. He was right, of course. Didn't make it any easier. He looked down at his food, suddenly no longer hungry.

"I know Cap. It's ok. I know you're right, and it needs to be done." He forced himself to take a bite and meet Steve's eyes. "But you know, we're going to be airing a lot of dirty laundry the next few days. If this stuff is out there for the whole world to see, the entire team needs to know about it too."

"Yeah. We're going to become a lot closer, whether we want to or not." Steve felt the uneasiness there too. There was private footage of him and Peggy. Things he wanted to keep to himself. But for the sake of the safety of his team, they would need to know. They couldn't risk a hostile taking advantage of an unknown on the field.

"And Clint, I'm going to go out on a limb and guess this is going to be the most difficult for you and Natasha. I don't know what to say, besides I'm sorry."

Clint did appreciate the sentiment, even if it didn't change anything. "It's ok Steve. It's not like any one of us could have stopped this."

"Yeah, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating. Also, as you've already figured out from this morning, in the minds of the general public, you and Natasha are, well, a um…" he faltered, uncertain of how to address this with the archer.

"Yeah, we've got a bunch of fans who want us to be more than what we are. I got it Cap."

"Well, I'm going to ask you the same thing I asked Natasha. If you would look into what's out there on THAT issue also, in addition to just yourself. We need to be informed. All of us. We can't let some lunatic take advantage of information just because we don't want to address it. I'm already considering the possibility of copycat assaults, as many of the fan-fictions out there involve us fighting."

Clint looked down again. No easy way around this. They were just going to have to bite the bullet.

"Clint?"

"Yeah Cap, I heard ya, and you're right. I'll get on it right away."

"Natasha's been in her apartment about an hour already working on this assignment." It felt natural for Steve to inform Clint where Natasha was. Clint wondered why. "And don't forget to get some sleep tonight Clint. And if you need anything, or anyone to talk to…"

Clint stood, taking his plate with him. "I know where to go Steve. I appreciate it."

Steve smiled a weary smile. "Well, good luck Agent Barton. See you in the morning."

"You too, Agent Rogers."

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Some time had passed since Natasha had started researching what she could find on herself. It looked like most of the info that stolen was videos, and then the You Tube videos and fan stories had sprung from that. A redacted version of her file was out there, but the really sensitive information was missing, thank god.

Unfortunately, the videos said plenty. They had even caught her uncharacteristic break in character one night when she was undercover as Natalie Rushman. She had Stark all to herself, alone, vulnerable, and she could have gone in for the "kill," so to speak. She had been flirting, and he'd given her an in with his question. But it had taken her aback, and her eyes showed it. Dammit. She was supposed to be better than that. Of course Tony hadn't noticed when she replied that she would do "whatever she wanted with whoever she wanted to do it with" that she wasn't thinking about him, but the camera she'd hidden in his office had caught her face and the break in her voice.* (*****See Iron Man 2).

She had really been missing Clint while on the Stark assignment. They had been a team for so long that she had almost forgotten what it was like to be on a solo mission. At the time she thought it had been for the best, that they be separated. They had grown TOO close, it was becoming a liability, she had told herself, one that would eventually be found out and exploited, and Clint would die. Especially after Budapest. So she had requested solo missions, and with a look of disappointment, Fury had granted them.

She'd had contact with Clint in those months, even the occasional short mission together, but she had tried to keep him at arm's length. He had been his joking self, yet somewhat hesitant, aware of her uneasiness and unwilling to push it. He wanted her back as a partner if he could have nothing else. He didn't stop the flirting, just made it more, manageable, for her. She had gone to Fury to request to be reassigned to Clint again when he had asked her to do one more solo mission in Russia, tracking an arms dealer.

Then Coulson had called in the middle of her interrogation.

God, the hackers had even gotten footage of THAT.

No wonder everyone in the world thought she and Clint were together. The looks on their faces in the footage were enough to see that their connection went beyond mere partnership.

Fury was likely pissed. Certainly there was a fresh round of gossip and betting on the helicarrier. News like this doesn't stay secret for long. The worst part? For all the flack they were going to get, for all the danger they were now in, they had nothing to show for it. No one night of amazing sex, no loving, tender moments together, nothing. She had pushed him away for so long to protect him, and now he was a target anyway. Goddammit.

Sigh. Enough of that line of thinking. She closed down You Tube and opened up .

She wasn't even sure where to start with this nightmare, so she put on some comfortable pajamas and took her laptop to bed. Might at least be comfortable while reading what was likely to get her fired.

After a scrolling through pages and pages of stories she got frustrated and just randomly clicked on one. The title was "Sweat." That looked benign enough.

Boy was she wrong.

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Clint went back to his apartment after the chat with Steve, pausing slightly as he passed Natasha's door. He imagined this wasn't very pleasant for her, having to relive much of this stuff. But, she would need her space, and if she needed him she would come for him. At least he hoped so.

He sat down at the small table in his eat-in kitchen, opening up his SHIELD laptop. As it booted up he thought about how much he had come to respect the Captain. The world had moved on, but there was something to be said about the calm and polite manner that Steve had about him. It was easy to like the guy, and Clint was beginning to consider him a friend. He even trusted him now, which was not a small feat.

Clint, like Natasha, started his research looking for what video footage he could find. All that was left was mostly on You Tube, the same hackers who stole the footage, now employed by SHIELD, having removed every bit they could, leaving only fan-made videos. But it was quite obvious that the damage had been done. If fans could glean enough info from the videos remaining to write literally more than 1,000 stories on just him and Natasha they were in for quite a mess.

He wasn't ready to relive his mind control and the results just yet. He could use one more night of peace. One more night free of nightmares. Instead he allowed his mind to wander back to the fan-fiction Natasha had to aptly read earlier that morning. God, he was stiffening just thinking about it. She had even acted some of it out with his, probably to mess with the others. But it had been SOOO good and he had struggled to calm himself down enough to stand without a raging hard-on.

She wasn't called the Black Widow for nothing. He'd seen her turn so many marks into jelly without so much as touching them. He sighed inwardly. He was the closest she'd ever let anyone come, but he'd still have to settle for just being partner. He knew her well enough now, knew her limits. He wasn't willing to risk pushing that and losing her all together.

_Well, might as well enjoy this_. Having finished his sandwich he stripped down to his boxers and crawled into bed, laptop in hand. He was going to take care of this before his balls turned blue. Searching for a story with a "Mature" rating he came upon one he thought he'd try. It was called "Painted Blind." Seemed innocent enough by the description, but he knew all things weren't as they initially seemed. Might as well give this one a chance.

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Natasha had been reading for a few minutes, and she could feel herself getting hot. It was as if she was there in the story. It was similar enough to missions they had shared in the past too, a miserable shanty from which to observe their target, no heating or cooling, lucky to have running water. Ah, memories. It was incredible how the author got Clint's teasing mannerisms too. What other info had been out there before the renegade hackers removed it?

Her mind was drawn to the words on the page. The words describing Clint. The words describing her lust after him.

"…_he was leaning back in his chair, showing off the muscles of his abdomen just a bit too casually…"_ Natasha laughed slightly to herself. She had certainly caught him doing THAT more than once. _"…she still had trouble keeping her eyes away from him, and currently was envisioning running her tongue along every crevasse of his six pack, licking him, tasting him, learning his scent…"_

"Jesus Christ," she muttered to herself, almost closing the laptop in frustration. This was getting a little hot already. "Way to pick 'em Romanoff." She had to keep going. Surely Stark was going to find ALL of the good ones, so she might as well be prepared. Even if she could currently feel a tightening in her abdomen.

She read through an awkward kiss, followed by more awkward conversation between the two of them. My god, this had almost HAPPENED before! How did random people know them so well? This was a bigger problem than she had realized. The story started to turn to her admitting her feelings and she felt her breath quicken. What would he say? What would he do?

"Get a grip Widow," she said out loud. This was just some _story_. But she couldn't help but wonder what would happen next. She couldn't help but wonder what Clint would REALLY do if…

"'_You talk too fucking much, Barton.' And then she kissed him again."_

Suddenly she realized she was panting, and one hand had moved to her inner thigh.

"Fuck it." She put the laptop aside for a moment, removed her clothing and pulled out her trusty vibrator from a hidden drawer under her bed. At least she could enjoy this.

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"Holy Shit," he said out loud. This story was fucking incredible.

He'd read to chapter 2 and was hypnotized, and already incredibly hard. He had been drawn into the story to such an extent that he'd felt a flash of murderous anger when the villain had asked 'him' about sharing his 'wife.' But it had got better very quickly.

'"_I wanna fuck,' she said petulantly, using the same tone she used to lure marks off into private rooms."_

Clint closed his eyes. He'd heard that voice so many times on missions through the comms. Just that deep, suggestive voice had lead many to their capture or death. God how he'd wanted to hear it directed towards him, even if it was only for a mission. While they had posed as a couple before, it had never been as intense as this story portrayed. He felt a wave of disappointment at that.

He read on, about how their room was bugged with a camera, about how they would have to put on a show, about how he tried to figure out a way not to force her to have sex with her. Clint felt a little sad about that, because of how true it was. He would never risk their partnership for anything, even a mission. But that meant he would never _experience_ her. He could never take advantage of such a situation just to fuck her. She meant far too much to him, and he respected her much more than that.

But…

"_We can work around this, sweetheart," he murmured. "You know that, right?"_

_She continued to smile inscrutably at him, and she took one of his hands in hers. She dragged it over her body, along her waist, brought it all the way down to her bare thighs. She tugged his fingers upward then, up underneath her skirt, between her legs, right up to where they joined. His fingers brushed against her panties, and…_

_She was wet. Oh, __**god**__, was she wet. So wet, in fact, that she'd drenched her panties, soaked right through them. She sucked in one shaky breath through parted lips as she stared at him."_

Clint suddenly realized he had started stroking himself through his boxers. Pre-cum glistened at his tip and his heart rate and breathing were elevated. Setting the laptop to the side he quickly flung off his boxers and got back to business.

"…_and it was her, it was __**Natasha**__ sitting on his cock, cradling him between her legs, her slick heat that was enveloping him. He prided himself on keeping it together so well."_

"_And then she started moving."_

"Holy fuck…" he murmured, as he took his erection into his hand again.

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God she was so wet.

Natasha was on her side, only removing her hand from squeezing her breast to occasionally scroll further down the story. She was rubbing her clit with the decent-sized vibrator as she continued reading.

"'_The shit you do to me, Natasha,"_ She moaned at reading those words. She could more than imagine Clint saying them, it was as if she could HEAR it coming from his lips. They were going to be so fucked in the morning, but right now she just didn't give a shit. She continued in the story, unable, and completely unwilling, to turn away.

"_He held her gaze as she sunk down on to him, stretching and rippling and feeling unbearably full with him inside of her…"_ She moaned as she finally pushed the vibrator inside herself. She had chosen a large one for a reason. She'd helped him gather his gear before. Maybe while she did so she had taken a quick peak and discovered his shoe size.

It was size 12.

Not bad, but that knowledge hadn't helped her situation.

"_And then he started to move."_

"Fffffuck…" this was starting to get ridiculous. It was everything she'd fantasized about, and more.

"_She felt him twitch inside of her. 'Goddammit, woman," he moaned, and now it was his turn to make embarrassingly guttural noises, except that they weren't embarrassing at all, but rather very, very sexy, and she wanted to spend as much of her free time as possible devoted to the pursuit of making Clint Barton make that noise repeatedly."_

"God, Clint," she said his name, closing her eyes and losing herself to the thought of _her_ name on his lips, his voice thick with desire, his cock deep inside her. She imagined what his moans would sound like, what his rough hands would feel like, how his tongue would taste. She increased her speed as she pumped the vibrator, and she moved her other hand from her breasts to her clit.

She arched her back and neck, mouth opening in a silent, wordless scream of pleasure.

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Jesus, he was so wet he wasn't going to need any lube.

He was on his back, increasing the speed of his hand on his cock, with his head turned so he could continue reading. Who knew written porn could be so good!

"…_she threw her head back and moaned in the most sinful voice he'd ever hear, "Oh, __**fuck**__." He bucked up into her felt his cock jerk inside of her as her reaction made him break his rhythm. She didn't mind though, just kept crying out, begging, 'Don't stop baby, please don't stop!' … He would do anything to hear her moan like that again…"_

It was just too much. God what he would give to hear his name on her lips, called out in a moment of passion. To hear her moan against his neck, pant into his ear, shiver in pleasure under his touch. He could feel the pressure building, his balls pulling in, ready to give him release. He closed his eyes and worked his cock harder, feeling _Natasha_ slick against his body, enveloping him, quivering around him at her own orgasm. That though threw him headfirst over the edge.

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It was as if Natasha could _feel_ him inside her, as if she could hear his word of warning that he 'wasn't going to last much longer baby,' as if she could hear his breathless gasps as he pleaded her name…

She screamed out loud as she came, squeezing the vibrator and pushing her finger against her clit. Aftershocks took her, and she couldn't help but whimper his name, "ah fuck...Clint…"

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With a shudder, his abs clenched tight and were sprinkled with hot semen. He held his breath, completely lost in the sensation, in _her_, and when he released it her name was on his lips.

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Neither assassin completed any further research, instead sinking into a deep, dreamless, and _satisfied_ sleep.

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**Oh my, these two are in deep now. What will happen next? The stories "Painted Blind" and "Sweat" are real stories on written by the amazing author "Michelle." I highly recommend you check them out. Special thanks to my betas: brawler25, Jabberswife & jgpkxc, and a SPECIAL beta for this chapter: Michelle herself! Thanks to reviewers from Chapter 4:… Keep up the reviews! It's what keeps me writing. **

**And yes, Clint remains mostly oblivious to Natasha's feelings still, while Nat is realizing her feelings but still trying to hide them. Silly Clintasha! **

**Review Prompt: the gang is going to have some fun teasing Stark in a few chapters. I need suggestions for the best slash pairing stories on the website for Stark with all the guys and Loki, or just any funny Stark story. (I ask because I don't read slash unless it also contains a Clintasha theme I'm interested in). Here's your chance to advocate for your fav & have it included!**


	6. 6:Fury gives an apology and a compliment

"Avengers: Fanfiction"

**Don't sue, I don't own anything, just doing this to promote the movies & comics (& push my Clintasha agenda!)**

**This chapter is rated "M" to be safe for cursing & other stories with M ratings. Mentions of rape, but no detail. **

**Where we left off last time: Clint and Natasha went into their own rooms to research just how deep this fan-fiction rabbit hole goes. They stumbled upon some VERY sexy stories and, um, took care of some business themselves. **

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Chapter 6: Fury gives an apology and a compliment

Clint and Natasha rolled out of their respective beds early, hoping to get in a workout before the meeting. They went about their own morning routines, each pausing to check their secure SHIELD email before heading out of their apartments.

They noticed an email from Bruce, sent to both of them late last night. The subject line said "Read before the meeting if you can."

_So, Guys, I guess the Captain informed you of our assignment for tonight._ _I looked into everything I could find on me, then couldn't get to sleep, so I started looking up my teammates. _

_First off, I apologize for that. I know I wasn't supposed to. There just wasn't much on me besides the other guy, and well, I guess I wasn't in a 'hulk' mood last night. I knew we'd have to talk about each other eventually, so I went ahead and got started. Again, I'm sorry._

_Anyway, I came across quite a lot for you two. Unfortunately, some of it was fairly dark. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess Fury is going to want to address the bad stuff, so I wanted to make sure you guys were ready for it. _

_Here are a few links to some stories you guys might want to read so they don't catch you off guard. Again, I apologize. Please know I only mean the best. These are quite dark._

_Your friend, Bruce._

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Natasha sighed. Bruce had really worked hard to be her friend after the incident with the Hulk on the helicarrier. She did feel better around him these days, and after New York and a few more short battles where the Hulk made an appearance she no longer felt like the big green monster had it out for her. But she still feared the other guy, and feared that his benign approach to her could change in an instant. But Bruce was trying.

She skimmed over the links he had provided. More stories from that website, . Several described themselves as "death fics," most had mature warnings. The title of one of them caught her attention. "Intimately."

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Clint skimmed over the links Bruce had posted. He hadn't read any of these stories yet. Well, to be honest, he hadn't read much at all. But _damn_, last night's little fantasy experience had been worth being unprepared today. Guess he'd try and cram now.

The title of one of the stories jumped out to Clint. He read the summary. "_Instead of Natasha's "cognitive recalibration," Clint pins her down, literally. Just how intimate will Clint be?"_ His heart rate increased and he could feel his palms get sweaty. Fuck.

He had spent _months_ in the Canadian wilderness running from this particular fear. From this sick desire that Loki had pushed into his mind. _How the fuck did some random person know this shit?_ It wasn't fair. He shouldn't have to re-live these nightmares just because some pampered civilian wanted to fantasize about a relationship that doesn't even exist.

He knew where this story was going before he even opened it. He had reluctantly watched the tapes from the Helicarrier. He could see the intent that had been in his eyes when he'd fought Natasha, and he remembered just enough from his time under Loki's control that he knew what the god of mischief had planned for them. The motherfucker was going to have him _rape_ Natasha, then kill her, and then bring him out of his trance so he was fully aware of what he'd done.

Clint slammed the laptop shut and stormed out of the apartment, heading towards the shooting range.

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Natasha just stared at the screen. She had only barely started Chapter 1 and she was frozen. Of all the shit that had gone down on the Helicarrier, this encounter with Clint had frightened her the most. She had prayed for the chance to get him back, but feared if there was anything left to save. It could have ended so differently, as this author seemed to have picked up on. She'd had nightmares for so many months about _just_ how differently it could have ended.

Clint had confided in her before he disappeared, "to get his head straight." She had learned about what Loki had planned for them, the truth behind his "bargain" to her. She had spent three long months following Clint through the Canadian wilderness to make sure he didn't succumb to his grief and self-loathing. What else was she to do, really? What home would she have left without Clint?

God she hated these people. These sick, selfish, people who wrote about them without any thought to the _people_ behind the story, to how it could hurt her or Clint and put them in danger for this crap to be floating around in cyberspace. But even more so, she hated them because this would be out there, forever, threatening to drag Clint back into the darkness of despair and her back into the nightmares that had plagued her for so long.

Clint had eventually figured it out that she was following him of course. It had taken some of the edge off when, instead of running more, he had decided to taunt his tail and mess with her. It was finding his humor again that had slowly brought him back, and the flirting that followed as they started leaving little messages for each other in the wilderness. He had almost kissed her there, amongst the mountains and the wildflowers when they finally approached each other in person.

Why couldn't people write about that? Why couldn't they focus on the good in the world instead of the darkness? The beauty in the sunlight reflecting off the mountain clouds instead of the black hole that her heart had been? She sighed. It had been HER heart after all. She'd never noticed wildflowers before. Not before a brash, obnoxious archer looked into her eyes and lowered his arrow.

Natasha snapped back to the present. Nightmares were going to be a guarantee after today's meeting anyway. Better get through this shit so she'd at least be prepared somewhat for what Fury was going to throw in their faces.

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Clint was halfway through a quiver of arrows when he had calmed down enough to think straight again. He knew all of this would be coming up very soon, and with his boss of all people, and his save-the-world superhero teammates. Better get ready to face it.

He turned on a touchpad Tony had installed in the range for, whatever purpose a marksman might need for one, and went to Bruce's email. Instead of going back to the damned story that had riled him up already, he tried a different one. "Dear Natasha."

Not long after he found himself crumpled on the floor, head in his hands, a tear dropping onto the floor.

God he was so compromised.

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The Avengers gathered in the large conference room Tony had set up for their use. Faces were drawn and tired. Tony even lacked his usual smirk. Hill had arrived early with touch pads and files for everyone. Steve and Thor were reviewing the paper files and Bruce the electronic information. Tony stared out the window. Fury strode in, but with his head down and shoulders slouched. He looked like he'd had a long night too. He stood at the front of the room for a moment, realizing who was missing. He frowned a little deeper but said nothing, and simply sat down, waiting.

Natasha walked in next, her face a stoic mask that she reserved for her most difficult assignments. She sat down next to Bruce and started reviewing the information on the touch screen. Steve gave her a pitying smile, which she ignored. Thor stood as she entered, greeting her simply, "Lady Natasha," and sat back down. Despite often appearing dense, the god of thunder had been briefed and understood the seriousness of the situation they were facing.

The waited a few more minutes, Fury staring blankly at the table. Hill appeared a bit annoyed and turned to Tony. "Stark, could you get your house computer to locate Agent Barton and request his presence?"

"His name is Jarvis, Agent Hill, and you can just ask him yourself if you'd like."

"Ask him how? Where is the interface?"

Jarvis spoke up. "All you need do Agent Hill is speak and I will hear you. To answer your previous question Agent Barton has been standing outside the door to this room for approximately two minutes."

"Dammit." Hill opened the door and found Clint standing a few feet away, his forehead leaning against the wall, his eyes closed. He didn't move as Hill leaned out into the hallway. "You're needed in here Barton." He responded with a grunt and walked in.

The Avengers looked up as Clint walked in and slouched into the nearest chair, next to Thor and across from Natasha. He kept his eyes down. Natasha looked him over. Something was off. Had he been, crying?

No one else would be able to pick up on it, but somehow she just knew. Clint knew she would know too, so he averted his eyes from her and looked to Fury.

"Alright people," Fury began, but unlike his usual approach, he remained seated. "Rogers has informed me you have some basic knowledge about what we're here for today. So, let's get started and try to get some ideas on how to deal with this clusterfuck."

"That was my exact description boss," Clint spoke up. Steve reddened somewhat.

Fury sighed. "Sorry about the brash language Cap, but this is a giant mess. SHIELD hasn't had a data theft in this magnitude since…" he paused, unsure of himself.

"1951 sir," Hill helped him.

"Really? Damn." The director continued. "The only good news I can see out of this is that they were looking for information for curiosity's sake and for entertainment value. No current under-covers were outed, no missions revealed, and no future plans posted. They really were just looking for you guys."

"Lucky us," Natasha deadpanned.

"Yeah, that is a problem, isn't it Agent." Not a question. "Barton, Romanoff, I'm assuming you know your cover is blown and you're too high profile to risk putting you on any undercover or covert ops in any location that has electricity." The two nodded. "That being said we've been transitioning you to some training assignments within SHIELD with your main assignment being Avengers duty. Congratulations, you've been promoted."

The two couldn't hide their surprise. Barton spoke first. "Promoted?"

Fury finally stood. "Look, we fucked up. We should have already recruited the guys who hacked our system. We're supposed to stay ahead of shit like this. So, we destroyed your careers as field agents. It's the least we could do."

Natasha looked over to Clint with one eyebrow raised. That was the closest thing she'd ever heard to an apology from the director.

"So, we get a raise, right?"

"Yes, Agent Barton, an increase in pay and rank, and additional recognition as Avengers. Really, it's a bargain. Do you have any idea how good you all have made us look?"

The team looked around, confused.

Steve spoke first. "I thought everyone was angry about how much damage was done, and the lives that were lost."

Fury actually rolled his eyes. "That's just the 24 hour news cycle. They need to have some kind of controversy to sell advertising. No, the public and world leaders and governments saw what you actually did. Saved the ENTIRE WORLD from alien rule. The fact that we have Rogers, Barton and Romanoff on the payroll makes SHIELD look like heroes instead of, well…"

"Team America World Police?" Stark finally spoke up.

Fury grinned. "Exactly. Since people now know SHIELD exists, thanks to our new hacker friends, we have to start keeping in mind public opinion and all that ridiculous shit. Speaking of, is Ms. Potts available for some PR moonlighting?"

Tony stood, a stern warning on his face. "Don't even THINK about it. She's in enough danger as a known associate to me. She doesn't need any more face time."

Fury shrugged. "Fair enough. Anyway, your promotions are retroactive. Bonuses for the 'Earth's Mightiest Heroes saving the world stuff' are already in your accounts."

A grin started spreading across Clint's face. Tony smiled at him. "Drinks on you tonight Barton!"

Fury's smile faded. "That may be a good idea Stark. You guys are going to have a long day. Good luck. Hill?" With that the director turned the meeting over to Agent Hill and strode out the door. Clint grinned at Natasha. That was probably the best 'good job' he'd ever heard from the director.

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Hill wiped the smile right off his face.

"You guys have a lot of material to get through. We have our best people on this at SHIELD, but since you were the ones right there living these events, you might see something they'll miss."

She pushed a button on a remote and a large screen behind her came to life, displaying endless files.

"Rogers is going to take you through all the footage and data that was stolen from SHIELD. We should assume that all of it spent at least some time on the internet available to anyone, including hostiles, before we were able to contact the hackers themselves and ask them to remove it."

"And by ask you mean threaten." Bruce jumped in.

Hill just looked at him and continued without responding. "It does seem as though they were only looking for information on you all, which means most SHIELD ops remain uncompromised. But we need to assess what threat this released information is for the Avengers."

She looked around at each Avenger. "I'm sure you each have your own skeletons waiting to come out of their closets. The problem now is those threats are a threat to each other. Any hostile could potentially use any of this information against any one of you."

Thor finally spoke up. "Lady Hill, I understand some of this may be very personal. I would like to give my friends their privacy."

Hill frowned. Was that remorse on her face? When she spoke her voice was slightly softer. "I am sorry Thor. I'm sorry to all of you. You all need to know about each other what the threats may know, so you're not surprised if you're presented with something."

Bruce took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. Tony spoke up. "Well, my life's pretty much been an open book for a while, why don't we start with me?"

"They have footage of your time in Afghanistan, Stark."

He visibly deflated. "Oh." He wasn't exactly looking forward to revisiting that experience.

"No, I'd like to start with the members who are the most physically vulnerable. SHIELD has identified Agents Barton and Romanoff as the most likely initial targets, considering many factors, including previous alliances."

Natasha's eyes were fire. "The Red Room."

"Indeed. We had hoped to deal with them earlier, but they have proved to be a very, difficult, adversary." Hill continued. "Hawkeye has had a price on his head for some time now, and it'll likely a few at least will make a go of it. They're likely to review whatever information they can find to identify a weakness and try to exploit it. You all need to be ready."

Clint knew this was coming. By weakness she meant everyone now knew his connection to the Black Widow. They would try to use her against him, and vice versa. Oh joy.

"Most of what they took was video, and after very through questioning..."

"You mean torture and interrogation?" Bruce snipped.

Hill continued again, as if he hadn't said a word. "…we have been able to determine that their motive was benign. Some information from your files was leaked, but it was very minimum. Coulson had the complete files hidden very well."

"You all can go through that information at a different time. Now, we need to get through the footage. Much of this is a bit, personal, so I'll leave and let you all get through this as a team. Remember, you need to be looking for potential threats and how this information could be used against you. I imagine you'll have to do a little, sharing, of some of your pasts as well. Consider it a team bonding experience, with the goal of saving your lives."

Hill handed over the remote to Steve and left the room.

Steve sighed. "Well, I suppose we need to get started."

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**Yeah ok, not so subtle self-promotion there. Just giving my readers what they asked for! ;) (feel free to check out my other story "Intimately," that was mentioned in this chapter, but be warned, it is a MA rating, and some may consider it quite dark. Spoiler – no one dies, & happy ending though). "Dear Natasha" is a real fan-fiction on this website too, but it's a death fic & very sad. Read with caution &/or tissues. Special thanks to betas brawler25 & Jabberswife & to my reviewers from Chapter 5: Prescious93, Guest, Guest (sign in you lazy bums!), ShadowBeats22107, Omni 1 and wolfhawke26. **

**(plus a special thanks to my reviewers from Chapter 4, I forgot to mention you last time: JoMism, ghost reader, herbert942, Guest & Agent-Hamilton123). Keep up the reviews! ** **Also, don't forget to do some hard-core lobbying for Clintasha in the comics & movies! (go to Marvel dot com, pause your mouse over "Fans," click on "Forums" from the drop-down box. In Forums are categories to comment on – I recommend "Avengers" & "Hawkeye's love life" under "Marvel Omniverse (comics) and "Avengers Initiative" and "Captain America" under "Movies & TV." **

**Review prompt: I'm considering some action. What fanfic action story should I have a bad guy copy-cat? What bad guy? Make suggestions & I'll use them! **


	7. 7: in every way he knows you fear

"Avengers: Fanfiction"

**I don't own anything. But I WOULD volunteer all my ideas so far to Marvel & Disney for the low-low price of a Clintasha ship & no character death contractual guarantee… ;)**

**This chapter is rated "T" for mentions or rape & cursing & feels (no rape details btw). Note: they'll be watching video, so to differentiate I'll BOLD anything that is happening or said in the video.**

**Informational note: I'm going with mostly movie-verse with some comic-cannon. In the comics (Earth 616) Hawkeye is no longer deaf, btw. Long story, check Marvel's wiki. For now I'm ignoring Mockingbird (although she'll be making a comeback in the comics very soon. Boo) and Spider woman. Also ignoring Daredevil (although I guess he's dead in the comics now? Not sure) and Winter Soldier for now. Comic-verse can be so… confusing). **

**Oh my, 66 reviews, 75 story followers and 39 story favorites! THANK YOU! I love you all! Keep it coming! **

**Where we left off last time: Clint and Natasha read some sad stories and went to the meeting with Fury & Hill in a bad mood. All the Avengers are at the meeting ready to get started watching the raw video that was stolen from SHIELD and put on the internet.**

_**Hill handed over the remote to Steve and left the room. **_

_**Steve sighed. "Well, I suppose we need to get started."**_

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Chapter 7: "Slowly, Intimately, in every way he knows you fear."

Steve moved the curser to the first video file. It was marked "Romanoff interrogates Loki." At least they labeled them with something understandable this time.

"Cap, do we really have to start with that one?" It was Clint who spoke up.

"Sorry guys, I have my orders."

Clint put his head in his hands. "Well, I'm not watching."

"Barton."

He looked up at the sound of her voice. Her eyes were trained on him, and he saw a flood of emotion in her stoic face. She simply nodded. He sighed.

"Alright Cap. Might as well start with the deepest cut."

"I don't understand, why is this so damaging to you?…"

Tony cut off Bruce. "If you don't get it in a few minutes then I win the smartest guy on the team award." Gotta love the comedic relief.

Steve interrupted. "Oh, I forgot to tell you, the controls in front of you allow you to stop the video at anytime if you have a comment. Jarvis will take down and summarize our ideas into something coherent for the threat-level analysis." The video began.

**Loki was grinning.**

**Natasha had arrived at his 'cage.' …**

"…**But you figured I'd come."**

"**After. After whatever tortures Fury could concoct you'd appear as a friend, a balm, and I would cooperate."**

Natasha stopped the video. Everyone looked at her. "Loki had that idea in his head for a reason. You care to elaborate, Clint?"

He had his head in his hands again. He rubbed his forehead. "While under his, spell, Loki forced me to tell him everything I knew about each and every one of you. Loki's theory was based on Natasha's M.O. with marks. Well, what I TOLD him of Natasha's M.O. …"

Thor furrowed his brow. "Warrior Hawk, you mean to tell me you were able to keep some information from my brother…" he paused, remembering how everyone else in the room thought Loki a megalomaniac, and not family, "…from Loki, despite his spell that was powered by the Tesseract itself?"

Tony's eyebrow shot up. A very interesting observation.

Clint hesitated. "I…" he looked down. "I guess, I don't really know how to explain…"

"We can get back to that later, ok guys?" Natasha wished she was next to Clint so she could touch him somehow. His arm, his hand, anything. Instead she settled for reaching across with her leg and resting her foot on his. The contact seemed to assure Clint somewhat, and he looked back up at his teammates.

Natasha continued. "Anyway, my point is that the potential threats out there are going to think they know my M.O. They may even make the connection that Loki got his information from Clint, and so Clint knows a lot about me. The rest of the video may seem to demonstrate that Clint is very… important to me. It puts him at great risk."

"ME? What about YOU Nat? This shit is global, and the Red Room is going to come for you, it's only a matter of time…"

"Yes Clint, _exactly_. They will come for me and they'll use you as bait. As a threat. As a _LESSON._" Natasha practically hissed the last word. Clint understood. His head found his way into his hands again.

"Natasha, could you elaborate for the rest of us and for Jarvis?" Steve asked in the most polite tone he could muster.

Tony answered. "They'll use him to get to her. Then they'll kill him to teach her a lesson for her defection, and for, well, other things. About right, Natasha?"

"Yes. They'll kill him for giving me my conscience and emotions back."

Clint had balled his fists on the table now, on the verge of shaking. Bruce spoke up, his voice strangely dark. "Not if the other guy has anything to say about it."

They all looked up at him, confused at first, then alarmed. His eyes were an iridescent green.

"Bruce, it's ok, nothing's going to happen, take a deep breath…"

"Don't worry Captain, I just need to say this." Despite his eyes his voice was calm. "The uh, the Hulk, wants you two," he looked at Natasha and Clint, "to know that he won't let anything happen to you. He will smash anyone who tries to hurt his, uh, friends."

Every mouth dropped. "SUCCESS!" Tony jumped out of his seat, causing everyone else to jump and Bruce to nearly fall out of his chair. "I KNEW you could do it!"

"Whoa guys, let's everyone calm down ok? Bruce?" Steve was very concerned.

Bruce's eyes had returned to their normal color. "It's ok Steve, I'm fine. After New York I realized the other guy was identifying friend from foe. Then I started trying to, um, listen to him some. It's not like words or anything, just intense emotions that I interpret. But I'm pretty accurate, I think."

The tension had left Clint's face, and he started rubbing the back of his neck. "Wow man, that's amazing."

"You're telling me!" Tony could not contain his elation. "This calls for a celebration! Drinks on Barton AND me tonight!"

Steve actually smiled. "Ok Stark, but we still have a lot of work to do."

"OK? So, team drinking tonight?"

"I didn't say that."

"You said Okay…"

"Let's just see what happens. We really do have a lot to do."

Tony muttered something like "sound like my mother" as he slouched back into his seat. Natasha smiled. This little bit of revelation from Bruce was good news indeed. Perhaps even worth wading through all these memories.

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Steve continued the video. Loki continued his rant. Now it was Thor's turn to put his head in his hands.

"**I won't touch Barton, not until I make him kill you. Slowly, Intimately, in every way he knows you fear. And then he'll wake, just long enough to see his good work, and when he screams, I'll split his skull!"**

Steve stopped the video. They sat in silence for several moments, the words seeming to echo throughout the room. Thor actually spoke first.

"My friends, I am sorry for the wrong my brother has done. There is no excuse for such a horrific plan." He looked around the table, pausing on Natasha and Clint. "And now I fear, my friends, that others will try to use this threat to harm Lady Natasha and Warrior Clint."

"Agreed," the Captain interjected. "Any thoughts on how this would be used by a hostile? Clint? Natasha?"

The Black Widow swallowed audibly, daring a glimpse at her partner. Clint stared at the table. To the others he would appear with a blank expression, but Natasha could see the war that raged inside.

"Cap, this one is still a little, um, raw. Can we come back to it?"

Steve frowned slightly. "Jarvis are you keeping track of issues we need to return to?"

"Yes sir."

Clint started twirling between his fingers what looked to be a throwing knife.

"Ok, as long as we don't let it go altogether, I don't see the harm in taking a pass."

They finished the video, discussing whether or not Natasha's ending comments to Loki would make their enemies think she was acting or not. They decided to leave that one a question, review the rest of the footage and make a determination later.

The next video was marked 'Agents Barton and Romanoff fight.'

"Really Cap? Do we really have to watch this?"

Steve sighed. "Sorry Clint. It's not exactly fair that we start with you two, but we need to get this done."

"**It's Barton, he's heading towards the detention bay, does anybody copy?"**

"**This is Agent Romanoff, I copy."**

**The fight commences, the agents moving faster than what the cameras could really catch. Natasha holds Clint's knife back, then Clint grabs her hair and pulls her head back…**

Tony stopped the video.

"Now you see guys, THAT's why so many fan girls out there are writing porn about you two! That's just plain HOT!"

Clint jumps to his feet, slamming the knife into the table. "You think that's hot Stark?" he pointed to the screen. It showed a knife at Natasha's neck, Clint's hand in her hair pulling her head back. "You think that's good television? Well I'll have you know I was planning on RAPING her, Goddammit!" The room was silent. "You want to know about Loki's threat Cap? Well that sick Motherfucker pushed into my mind that I would rape and murder my own partner!" Clint was screaming now. "It was going to be a message to you all! That enough information for ya?!" He stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

Natasha was frozen to her chair. She knew she should go to him, but dammit, she just couldn't move…

"I will speak with the noble Hawk," Thor muttered as he left the room.

xxxxxxxxxx

The room remained silent for too long. Well, too long for Tony Stark at least.

"Shit Natasha, I'm so sorry…"

She just continued to stare blankly ahead. Everything she and Clint had overcome in the last several months, everything they had put behind them, and it was all undone. She didn't know if or how she'd be able to deal with Clint sliding down into another depression.

She didn't know if she'd be able to handle her own nightmares that were sure to return.

Everything had been going so… well. She should have expected it to all fall apart. She and Clint were partners again. They were close again. They were even flirting again. Clint was _feeling_ again, and she was beginning to face feelings that she had ignored for so long. Feelings that awakened a strange sense of possibility, even hope.

A single tear slid down her face. The men exchanged glances.

She couldn't live without Clint. There, she'd admitted it, even if it was just to herself. He was the air she breathed, the warmth in the sun, and he was hurting, and she was frozen to her chair…

Another tear fell onto her lap, then another. She was breaking, right here in front of her teammates. Steve looked panicked, wanting to give comfort but not sure what to do, Tony was frozen by guilt, and Bruce's eyes flashed green.

Uh oh.

Without warning a huge green foot walked right through the table, breaking it into several pieces. They all jumped back, Tony and Steve calling out to Bruce. The Hulk ignored them. He walked straight up to Natasha, who backed up against the wall, eyes wide in fear.

The Hulk furrowed his brow, and snuffed a few times. Then he reached out and very gently put an enormous hand on Natasha's shoulder. With as little force as he could muster, the Hulk picked her up and pulled her into him, holding her against his chest.

"Hawk-man loves little spider, would never hurt you."

Natasha couldn't control herself now. She hugged him back, more tears falling onto his huge chest. Tony and Steve were stunned, and didn't move an inch. Slowly her cries slowed, until she pushed out of Hulk's grasp. He let her, and smiled.

"Little spider better?"

She smiled back, pure relief in her eyes. "Yes Hulk. Thank you, my friend."

He smiled again.

"Can I talk to Bruce now?"

Hulk smiled. "Bruce say hi now," and shifted back to a very confused, and almost nude, scientist, and dropped Natasha. Steve rushed to her side and helped her up, the look in his eyes showing more than just chivalry but care and worry for his friend.

Bruce grasped his pants, holding up what was left of them.

"Oh my God Natasha, I'm so sorry! Are you ok? Is anyone hurt? Did I damage…" he saw the table.

Tony quickly spoke up. "Been meaning to replace that ugly table. Now I have an excuse to give Pepper!" He patted Bruce on the shoulder. "Thanks buddy!"

Steve was still in shock. "Bruce, that was incredible. Do you remember anything?"

"I remember feeling like an idiot that none of us men had enough balls to go to Natasha, then I guess the other guy decided to just take matters into his own hands."

Natasha hugged him then. "He did. And it was just what I needed. Thank you Bruce."

"He even had names for us!" Tony was obviously elated.

"Really? What did he call you?"

"Well, for Clint and Natasha, at least," he looked a tad disappointed at that. "He called them Hawk-man and little spider!" Bruce smiled.

Steve interjected. "Well, I really think that's enough for today. I'm going to go have a little chat with Hill about how we're going to analyze the rest of the information. Bruce," he paused, with a grin, "why don't you get some clothes. Tony, I think you owe Natasha an apology."

"And a drink," she added.

"Done."

xxxxxxxxxx

Thor found Clint in the range of course. The archer was flying through arrows like he was the sole Avenger fighting the Chitari. He allowed the rage to seethe from his face until he heard the god of thunder approach and quickly called up his Hawkeye mask. He continued with the barrage of arrows as Thor stood nearby, waiting for the right moment to speak.

To Thor Odinson, Clint Barton was not a man of mystery or someone he could not understand. Clint Barton had a warrior's heart, and a protective one at that. This Thor could relate to. Thor saw his opening when Clint eventually ran out of arrows. The archer attempted to switch to another quiver, but Thor stopped his hand as gently as he could. "I would have words with you, friend Hawkeye."

Clint didn't move for a moment, his arm frozen in space where Thor had stopped it. He had never been good with emotional stuff, and he guessed Thor was there to calm him after his outburst. He stood straight, as if at attention, and addressed the god of thunder. His face was blank. "Speak then."

"I fear I am to blame in part for Loki's madness. He was not always so. His mischief was once playful. But I was a tyrant of an elder brother, and I pushed him to despair."

Clint held up the mask. They'd been through this before. Why did Thor think he cared about what had happened to Loki? He'd kill the fucker as soon as look at him.

"It was this despair that lead to his," now true regret colored his face, "throwing himself into the abyss." Clint hadn't heard this before. Attempted suicide? Too bad it didn't work…

"It was there that the Chitari found him. They and, another, that the All Father has yet to know, and Heimdall cannot see." This peaked Hawkeye's interest. Clint had taken Fury's "9 realms 101" instruction based on what they had learned from Thor after the New York incident, but several holes in their knowledge remained. His Agent training took over.

"What of this, other, and what do you know of its intentions?"

Thor sighed. "Loki refuses to speak of his time there. We know nothing, despite Odin's efforts. Despite even Mother's efforts…" This was a bit disconcerting.

"Does Fury know about this?"

"He will soon, as I will ask Mr. Jarvis to include our discussion in the report."

"I will do so, sir." The AI still confused Thor a bit, but at least he could get things done.

"Clint, I fear what this new threat will mean for all the realms. But I also fear what it will mean for you." Thor shuffled his feet for a moment. "Do you, remember your time under my… under Loki's spell?"

Clint's eyes darkened and his jaw tightened. "I do."

"And you were able to withhold some things from him?"

"To a certain extent."

"Did he pry into your mind?"

Clint sat down and sighed. He wished he could just forget it ever happened.

"Yes."

"And what did YOU see, my friend?"

Clint looked up, confused. "What?"

"The connection that Loki uses to control you and see your thoughts was something he, experimented with, in his youth. It was all for merry fun back then." Memories danced behind his eyes. "I once tried to woo a Midgardian bear while under his spell." Thor chuckled.

That didn't sound like fun and games to Clint, but then again he wasn't a basically immortal god.

Thor continued. "But I do recall that the connection went both ways. In no way was I as skilled as my brother in the art of magic, but I did once use his spell against him to cause him to bark like a swine."

Clint chucked at the thought. THAT Loki sounded like a bit of fun. Too bad he was certifiably insane these days.

"You mean a dog?"

"A what?"

"Nevermind." Clint looked down at his rough hands.

"What did you see, warrior Clint?"

He thought for a moment. "I only saw glimpses. A small, pale boy. A beautiful, caring woman. Some kind of scaly monster eating food from his hand under a large table." Thor grinned a sad, knowing smile.

"Anything from his, exile, my friend?"

"No, just a strong sense of fear, pain, and foreboding. Honestly Thor I spent most of the time fighting him, trying to push him out of my mind. It was exhausting, and it pissed him off. He expected us… humans, to put up much less of a fight."

"I must say, my friend, you are a fine warrior. Loki's magic, empowered by the tesseract, would have been more for any Asgardian to bear."

Anger flashed behind Clint's eyes again. "Not much good it did. It was my fighting that led him to…" he ran one hand through his hair. "It was going to be my punishment, for not being a good little minion. He would… twist my connection with Natasha into something… and he would make me…"

Thor's hand came down gently on Clint's shoulders.

"My brother, you need not feel guilt for Loki's darkness."

"But it _wasn't_ all him Thor, that's the problem!" Clint raised his voice now, shrugging Thor's hand from his shoulder and facing the god, who towered over him. "He took what was already in me, my…" oh god was he really going to admit this out loud to another person? "…my, _desire_, for Natasha, and he promised me, threatened me, that I would finally have what I wanted…"

Thor's head hung low. His brother's heart had become black indeed.

"I would have done it, Thor."

"I'm sorry?"

"I would have done it. I would have broken her, and we'd both be dead."

Thor sighed. "Walk with me brother."

They strode out into the range collecting multitudes of arrows. The familiar movement seemed to calm Clint somewhat. After a few minutes, Thor looked back towards the other Avenger.

"In all of Asgard I have never seen a marksman such as yourself, Warrior Hawkeye. When was the last time you missed a shot, my friend?"

Clint had to think back a long, long time. A slight grin formed at the corners of his mouth at the memory. "At least a decade."

"You are wrong."

Clint looked up at him confused. "Am I?"

"Indeed. When you faced Lady Natasha under my brother's spell, you missed each time you fired at her."

Fuzzy memories returned. Why hadn't he thought of that? He had seen the footage.

"I believe my friend Selvig called it a 'safety.' Somehow the two of you were able to prevent Loki's complete control and built in a way out."

Of course he was right. Didn't make re-living what he had done any easier though. "I killed many other people though, Thor. Good people."

"Indeed, and Loki will pay for their blood. But Clint, my friend, you were able to prevent yourself from destroying Lady Natasha. Why is that?"

Clint raised one eyebrow. "That sounded like a rhetorical question Thor." At his confused look Clint continued. "Nevermind. Do you want me to answer that question or do you have a theory why?"

"Indeed both, my friend, but if you do not wish to answer I will inform you of my thoughts."

Clint nodded his head. "Go ahead."

"During our battle with the Chitari I noticed how all Avengers fought bravely. But I noticed, in particular, how you and Lady Natasha fought. At first I kept an eye on you both as much as I could for your safety, thinking that you were fragile mortals." Thor grinned a bit. "And that you are, but you are also very strong."

"I saw how the Hawk and the Spider complimented each other. How you watched her back but did not crowd her. How you respected her skills enough to let her, as a maiden, fight. I knew then that you were truly were a team. I have rarely seen it before in all the realms, and only lately with Lady Sif and the warriors three."

Clint chuckled. "I think she'd kill me if I didn't respect her skills enough to let her fight her own battles."

"Indeed. But that was nothing compared to what I have observed since spending more time with you all on Midgard. I have been honored that you two have allowed me to take part in your sparring rituals. It is, truly, a bonding between closest friends, that until now I have reserved for a very select few back on Asgard."

"But what you and Lady Natasha do on the sparring mat, my brother, is, as you say it, an entirely different game of ball."

Clint smiled. Thor was a little slower at picking up sayings and slang than Steve. "What do you mean?"

"All the artisans of the realms cannot compare to your dance. My friend, you must realize that the two of you have been engaged in a warrior's mating dance for some time?"

"Uh, a what?"

"Truly, Clint, it is as I say. Warrior maidens can be rare in the realms so it can be easy to dismiss. But I ask you, would Natasha consider anyone for a mate that would not prove himself as such?"

Clint allowed a sarcastic frown to form on his face. "Thor, I don't think Lady Natasha will ever take a mate."

Thor chuckled, and spoke low. "She is very much a woman, my friend. A strong, defiant…,"

"Frustrating, uncompromising …" Clint couldn't help from adding.

Thor laughed now, a deep bellow echoing throughout the large room. "Indeed! And what normal man could possibly please her as she needs? What man would even take the time to bother LEARNING her inner heart, and dealing with her fighting spirit?"

Clint huffed. "No man who took their sanity seriously."

More laughter followed from Thor, and he clapped his friend on the back, a bit too hard. "My friend, I do wish you and Lady Natasha could visit Asgard one day. Lady Sif and the warriors three would have much merriment from your, situation…"

Clint feigned hurt. "So now I'm simply a source of amusement to the gods?"

Thor continued laughing, "That and more my friend. They do not yet believe me when I describe your skills, and that Midgardians actually partake in warrior mating dances,"

"Hey now, I never agreed that we did,"

"Your conscious consent is not required my friend. I have seen your dance, it can be seen no other way."

"Well you just try telling that to the Black Widow. She may try to cut your tongue out."

Thor's smile faded some, and he looked to Clint with some pity. "Do not worry, brave Hawk. She will acknowledge the truth one day. You may have to pursue her, but it will come. Did you not see how she reacted to your dance earlier?"

All that would come to Clint's mind was how beautiful, and peaceful she looked dancing ballet.

Thor's voice was lower. "You do recall when I, um, interrupted your private dance, do you not?"

Was Clint actually blushing? Thor laughed again.

"Come, my friend. Let us continue our talk with tales of our past heroics over many mugs of mead."

"Why not. Haven't had a hangover in a while, after all."

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Steve approached Hill, who had been waiting outside in the hall the entire time. She was on the phone.

"They actually did better than I thought they would. Yes sir. Yes sir. I'll get you that ten bucks later sir. Hill out." A mischievous smile spread across her face. "Can I help you, Captain Rogers?"

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Tony poured Natasha a shot of vodka he had just imported from Russia. He had walked with her to one of his private, and well-stocked, bars. "For the lady," he said as he sat it on the counter. She swallowed it immediately and sat the glass back down. "Leave the bottle Stark."

He chuckled to himself, setting down the vodka and reaching for some scotch for himself.

"So, well, I'm a fuck-up."

"I already knew that Tony."

"I'm emotionally incompetent, insensitive, and an all around asshole."

"Nothing new there."

"Come on Nat, I'm trying to apologize here."

She rolled her eyes and looked down. "I know. It's not your fault. You didn't know."

Tony sighed and sat down next to her. "You see, that's where I think I _really_ messed up. I've had my suspicions about how feather-head feels about you for some time. I never imagined just _how_ right I was."

"Now Tony, Clint and I are just…"

"Oh cut the crap Natasha." _Maybe that came out a little harsh, _"A man doesn't react that like for just a partner. My gut says the poor guy's had it bad for you for quite some time. So what's your excuse?"

"Pardon?"

"Why are you still denying him?"

Natasha took a long swig directly from the bottle. "Jeeze Romanoff, I only have so much of that stuff!"

"Then order more."

"You know Tony, Clint and I, our… relationship, is difficult to explain to the general public. Most people have no idea what a covert operative's life is like. What an assassin's life is like. Personal attachments are dangerous. They put you at risk and put your loved ones…" she paused, "well, they're in constant danger. For a while there SHIELD lost more family members than operatives." Tony considered that particular horror with a pained look.

"Then there's the, uh, training, that it takes to get someone to be the best in the world. It's not, normal. Clint and I didn't have normal, or healthy, childhoods."

"So you get help, you see the best shrink money can buy, you play in the snow and swing on swings and live your childhood. Why just give up?"

"It's not that easy Tony. In our jobs, we have to KEEP our edge. We have to be able to turn off our emotions, our conscience, at any time. We have to make the difficult decisions of life and death that would break a normal person. We _can't_ be normal. Or healthy."

"But you still have them emotions. You still feel. Why not share that with Barton?"

"I…" she hesitated. "I do… to some extent. But…"

"Hey, I get it. Love is scary. Love is dangerous. But if you don't risk getting burned you're never going to feel the passion of the fire baby."

"I can't watch him die, Tony."

"So you shut him out so that when he dies one day it won't break you as much? Well, it's too late Natasha. Super-spy or not, it's obvious that you two care for each other deeply. Whether or not you admit it out loud, or even to yourself, it's not going to make any difference later if something happens to him. In fact, you'll be consumed by regret for not taking advantage of the time you DID have."

Natasha stared at the bar top.

"But you should really ask Steve about that."

Natasha's heart fell. She knew about Peggy. Of what Steve had sacrificed for his country.

Tony took another drink.

"He is a man, Natasha. He needs… affection. He'll eventually find someone to give it to him, whether it's you or not."

"We've taken plenty of lovers of our own over the years, Tony."

"Yeah, and how did that go?"

She sighed, and took another drink. "It was enough to scratch the itch."

"Wouldn't you want something more?"

"Says the self-titled playboy?"

Tony laughed. "Yeah, yeah, but then I realized how I feel about Pepper. I'm a one-woman man now Natasha. And you know what? I wouldn't go back for anything."

She considered that, how well Pepper and Tony seem to fit together. How they complimented each other. She couldn't imagine another woman being able to deal with Tony at all. She knew there wasn't any man that was willing to put up with her crap. Well, except the one that had been there for so many years now…

"Just think about it Natasha. Clint's a good guy. He deserves to be loved. So do you. I'd hate for you guys to miss your chance while it's here."

They drank in silence for a few moments. Tony wasn't one for comfortable silences.

"Well, good talk Romanoff. I guess I'll go and leave you to it." Tony stood to leave when Natasha realized she actually did want to continue talking with him. She actually did want to get something off her chest.

She stared into the shot glass. "I would have let him, you know."

Tony turned, surprised. "Sorry?"

Natasha took a deep breath. "If he had succeeded in subduing me, in pinning me down. I would have let him…"

"Shit Natasha." Tony really didn't know how to deal with this deep stuff. So he hugged her from behind. "It's going to be ok, little spider."

They stayed there in that position for a while, Tony forcing himself to accept the silence Natasha needed. She didn't cry, but Tony felt when she started to relax, and then he released her.

"God I'm such a mess."

"You know, every person, even the great Tony Stark, need a good cry now and again. You shouldn't feel worse for it. How about you go get a little R&R with Pepper? I need to be a good boyfriend every now and then so I was thinking about surprising her with a mini spa day. I've already had Jarvis clear her schedule. Pep's a good gal, she wouldn't push you to talk if you didn't want to, and she'd be there if you did. Plus I've got some experimental arrows to show Clint, so that'll keep him busy a while so, well, things can calm down a bit. What do you say, Widow?"

The assassin smiled. She'd only got to do those sorts of things as part of a cover for a mission. "You know what? Sounds great Tony. Let's go find Pepper."

xxxxxxxxxx

**Good lord! I thought they were never going to stop talking! Sorry for the angst, I'll try and see if I can get Clint & Natasha back to flirty Clintasha, because that's fun. Guess they had to deal with some **_**more **_**stuff first, poor dears. Special thanks to my betas brawler25 & Jabberswife! & big thanks to the reviewers from chapter 6: Alpha Flyer, purplestarr59, wolfhawke26, Precious93, AylaCastopolous, guest, ShadowBeats22107, shocker and bouncing crow!**

**Keep up the reviews! It's what keeps me writing. **** I'm working on putting your suggestions, no matter how small, into future chapters, so look for them. Let's see if we can get over 100 followers & reviews! Thanks again guys! **


	8. Chpt 8: mortals, mead & massages

"Avengers: Fanfiction"

**I don't own any character, song, or fanfiction mentioned in this chapter. (But seriously, Fraction, DeConnick, Joss, etc: I'll let you use my stuff if you want. PM me!) **

**This chapter is rated T for swearing, & it was a bear to write. Come back muse! **

**People will be reading fanfiction again in this chapter, either out loud or to themselves. I'll put it in **_**italics.**_

**Where we left off last time: The team watched some of the raw video that was stolen from SHIELD. It upset Clint and Natasha. Clint stormed out. Bruce hulked-out because Hulk wanted to comfort Nat. Lovely feels. Thor & Clint chat, then leave to drink, Tony & Nat drink and chat then leave to find Pepper so the girls can go get pampered. Steve went to find Hill & Bruce went looking for some pants. **

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Chapter 8: Mortals, Mead and Massages

"No way, Iron Ass, this time we're reading YOUR stories!"

Tony looked up from the screen, a mock look of dejection on his face. "But Katniss, there's just so much good smut for you and your little spider! Don't you want to know how to please her?..."

Barton snorted. "Oh please. Like a bunch of lonely, unsatisfied middle-aged women know what Natasha wants."

A eyebrow shot up on Bruce's face. "And you do?"

Clint's jaw dropped. "I, well, um no, I guess, but…"

"And how do you know all the authors are even women?"

Man, even Steve was on his case now.

"Come on guys, can't a bro get a break? Can you find someone else to torture?"

Steve, Bruce and Tony had joined Thor and Clint in the commons area at a very well-stocked bar. Somehow Tony had procured Norwegian Mead in addition to his normal high-end stock and the men were enjoying themselves.

"Come now, my friends," Thor interjected, ever the peacemaker within their little group, "let us drink and be merry, and read the tales others tell of our adventures!"

"Thor, you do understand that these stories aren't real, don't you?"

"Captain, even the truest warrior's tale is exaggerated by the teller. You must come to an Asgardian feast someday, my friends, to hear the tales told over much food and drink!"

Clint smiled. That would certainly be entertaining.

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GOD, Natasha had wanted this for so long.

It had been far too long since Natasha had been able to visit her favorite guilty pleasure in New York City - 'Anastasia Spa.' The older Russian speaking owner was almost always there and made it a point to tend to Natasha herself. She now sat in an excessively comfortable chair, her feet soaking in warm, bubbling water, sipping on a fruit smoothie.

"Sasha, you sure do know how to treat a girl." (translated from Russian – Lazy writer)

"For you, miss Natasha, anything. And who is the lovely friend you have brought with you?"

"This is…" "Sorry Sasha, English please? This is Pepper. She doesn't speak Russian."

(in a thick Russian accent) "Awe, no one is perfect, my dear lady. Any friend of Natasha is a friend of mine."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Sasha. You have a lovely place here."

"Yes, after the aliens Natasha found the best contractor to fix us back up. And the _sexiest_ carpenter man to fix my apartment!"

Pepper looked over to Natasha, smiling. It was good to know she had some kind of life outside of SHIELD and the Avengers. She'd have to remember to ask her later about the business contacts, Avengers tower needed a few repairs… wait, was Natasha Romanoff BLUSHING?"

"If only, my dear girl, someone would break something, you could send your handsome friend by again?"

"I'm sure we can figure _something _out, Sasha," the mischievous glint in Natasha's eyes hid any previous indication of embarrassment.

"Ah, my dear, not that it makes much difference for me. His eyes were for another…" Sasha emphasized her statement by waiving her eyebrows at Natasha. Pepper wasn't too surprised ANY man would be smitten with Nat. Tony sure had been when she first appeared as Natalie… (* back in Iron Man 2)

"Oh those ARMS, Ms. Pepper! If only you could have seen. And such amazing blue eyes, and what a sense of humor!" She turned back to Natasha. "Oh, and how he looked at you! It is meant to be, Ms. Natasha…"

"OK Sasha, calm down…"

"Oh, but it's true, my friend! Back home they called me Russian word for matchmaker, you know. I think he may have been Cupid himself, sent for you." Looking up in thought, Sasha added, "In fact, he said he was an archer…"

Pepper choked on her smoothie. Natasha stared straight forward, gritting her teeth.

"Are you ok, Ms. Pepper?" Sasha jumped up, rushing to her aid. NO WAY was someone going to choke in her salon! And on one of her signature smoothies, at that!

Pepper collected herself, coughing just a bit. "No no, I'm fine. Don't worry about me." She couldn't help the smile spreading across her face. "So, Sasha, this… carpenter, you get a picture of him?"

Natasha rolled her eyes as Sasha quickly dug into her pockets. "Oh yes, Ms. Pepper! I snuck a couple pictures while he was working!" Of course Clint would have let her photograph him. Men and their egos. She presented the phone. "What a man, is he not?"

Sure enough, Pepper realized, it was Clint. A shirtless, sweaty, smirking Clint. He obviously knew she had been photographing him, and he made sure to give her a good angle and flex _just right_. She almost giggled. "Natasha, you were not interested in this _gorgeous_ man?"

Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps I should tell your boyfriend that you think _this_ man is gorgeous?"

Sasha saved Pepper. "Oh but Ms. Natasha, you must see these photographs! And see _him_ again!" She tried to force the phone into Natasha's face, and she tried to turn away. She was here to relax and forget the recent drama, not get immersed in more of it. "Come now, my dear girl, you DO like men, do you not?"

Good lord. "Yes. And fine, I'll look at your picture." Shirtless, sweaty, smirking Clint, working with his hands on Sasha's wood cabinets. So much for a clear mind. Now she was going to have THAT in her head for the rest of the day…

She handed the phone back. "Happy?"

Sasha frowned. "You must now run from love forever, Ms. Natasha. No, then the one day you want it, love will run from you."

Sasha waved over another worker. "I must go, my dears. Nicolai must go to the doctor today, and I must take him."

"Wish him well for me, Sasha."

"Until next time, dear Natasha," (in Russian again). With a slight bow of the head the woman walked out the door.

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Steve passed around another round of beer, making a mental note of the levels of intoxication of his teammates. Thor and himself were, of course, fine. Bruce looked okay as far as he could tell. (He made a mental note to ask Bruce about how the Hulk affects his metabolism later). Tony, being a borderline alcoholic, had quite a tolerance and while he probably was at least a little buzzed, didn't appear drunk.

Clint was an entirely different matter.

The SHIELD agent didn't really have a lot of time to drink, and the little knowledge of his childhood that Steve did have made it quite plausible that he avoided the stuff generally. But not today. In the last hour Clint had been consuming the stuff as if it was his intent to get fall-down stupid drunk. He drank anything and everything anyone handed to him, even some ridiculous flaming concoction Stark had made. Steve smiled as he looked around at his team. He understood what was happening here. They were comforting a friend. In turn, their incredibly secretive, private, and slow to trust friend was actually trusting them enough to let it happen. Steve smiled as he took another sip of a cold beer that would never get him drunk. He wondering what he would have been like if he'd ever gotten drunk.

Clint was a goofy drunk.

He especially enjoyed teasing and laughing at Stark in his inebriated condition. Although, that wasn't all that different from his normal self, however, he did seem more at ease and ready to laugh faster and louder. So the other men encouraged him, hassled him, and gave him alcohol. It was 'guy-night' Steve supposed, but they were giving a little extra attention to Clint.

Clint had convinced the group to look into Stark fanfiction with a challenge. Now the race was on to find the funniest or most embarrassing Tony Stark story.

"This one's pretty good Clint," Steve spoke up, showing his discovery.

"_Iron Man knows all," _ Tony read aloud. "Hmm. Sounds about right to me…"

Bruce laughed. "I'd wait to say that until I read the rest of the story Tony."

The team read to themselves, some faster than others, and everyone faster that drunk Clint.

"Hmmm. I like this premise. I think I may be able to prove the assassins are love birds. What do you say guys, operation BlackHawk?"

The other Avengers groaned. Even Thor. Tony started working on a plan, while the others continued reading.

Steve smiled. "Actually Tony, I thought the author was more onto something with your my little pony collection."

"Hu?" Tony looked confused.

Thor's laugh billowed throughout the room. "Midgardians have interesting ideas on torture…"

"Wha?" Tony looked concerned now.

"That's right Stark, you take one little action towards your operation 'BlackHawk' and I'll personally smash your hidden liquor stash." Clint's eyes were full of mischief. "Or perhaps you'd prefer the "Dora" marathon?"

Thor directed their attention to a different story. "What of this one, my friends?" It was called Artificial Intelligence. Reading ahead, Tony wined. "WHY do all these people think I want a piece of Steve?"

"Hu?" Steve looked up.

Bruce and Clint read about self-aware appliances trying to become the best wingmen in history.

"Dude."

"Dude."

The two men looked at each other and burst into laughter. "Thank god the coffee machine doesn't talk!"

"Or the stove! I think that might frustrate the other guy just a little…"

Tony rubbed his face in thought. "Hmmm. That might be a good idea guys…"

"TONY!"

"Okay okay! Geeze guys, I won't do it, alright? Besides, it would be like cheating on Jarvis."

They continued their search. Bruce spoke up this time, and just started reading. _"Tony Stark does not share. Jarvis is his, the tower is his, the Iron Man suit is his, the Arc Reactor is his, all of his alcohol is his, and- a recent acquisition- Bruce Banner is his."_

Bruce paused. "Uh, whoops, maybe I should have picked another one…"

"No, I think this one's ok, it says science bros, so it's more like friends, I think…" Steve added. Bruce sighed, and continued.

"_The Avengers learn quickly not to toy with Tony. He clearly lacked a few essential life lessons in the sharing department. While he might have been a grown man, he was extremely susceptible to temper tantrums. Also, he had a very dangerous suit of iron at his beck and call. No one tried exceptionally hard to piss him off."_

Tony interjected. "Man, this writer doesn't think much of me. I'm not THAT juvenile…" Awkward silence and disbelieving looks abounded. "Oh come on guys!"

Bruce continued reading. "_No one except Clint Barton."_

"Ha! That's right, bitches, I'm the badass!" the drunk guy interjected.

Bruce raised one eyebrow and with a smirk continued reading.

"_Clint was another being that had clearly not been taught a few key lessons, one of which being: don't piss off the people that control your air vents. After stealing some of Stark's favorite blueberries, Clint had climbed into his favorite vent only to find it coated in superglue. It took several SHIELD agents to retrieve that section of ventilation system from the tower and then unstick him." _Bruce paused for dramatic effect. "_His hands still hurt."_

Clint's drunken eyes widened with realization. Tony rubbed his hands together. "Oh HELL NO STARK! DON'T YOU GO GETTING ANY IDEAS!"

Tony laughed. "Turn-about is fair play, bird brain!"

xxxxxxxxxx

Thor laughed, thoroughly enjoying himself and his new team. But time had run short for him, and it was time to go. He stood.

"My friends, it is time for me to leave. I go to Jane, and then back to Asgard."

"When should we expect to see you again?" Steve asked, standing to shake his hand.

"It may be some time, I'm afraid. I will send word when I know more. Until then Heimdall watches and will inform me if I am needed here."

They said their goodbyes, Thor asking Clint to give his best wishes to Lady Natasha, and Thor took the stairs to the roof.

"Well, at least I have a little bit of time to try and restock my selection of stout beers before he comes back," Tony smirked, returning to the bar. "Asgardians can drink almost like supersoldiers!"

"Or Russians…" Clint slurred under his breath. Bruce chucked at the archer. He was so smitten with Natasha.

Bruce turned to Steve. "So you never did tell us what Hill said." Steve blushed slightly. Bruce furrowed his brows. "You know, about the whole stolen footage problem?"

"Oh yeah right, that." Tony was pouring Barton a glass of water finally, so luckily he'd missed that little exchange, or Steve never would have heard the end of it. "SHIELD will put their best analysts on it and give us a report on likely threats soon. Until then we're relieved from having to do that again. She did ask us to go through it on our own though."

"That's a little more practical," added Tony, who handed the water to Clint. "Although it's a shame we have to miss the expression on BlackHawk's faces when they read the REALLY good stuff…"

A deafening crack of thunder announced Thor's departure.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Thunder shook the entire spa where Pepper and Natasha were now enjoying massages.

"Well, sounds like Thor's off to visit Jane again."

Pepper's comment roused Natasha from a very relaxed almost-sleep.

"He is quite taken with her."

A quiet "Mmmm.." was the best response Natasha could give. She hadn't had a decent massage since that mission with Clint in Dubai. That man had magic hands... _Dammit Natasha, quit it._ She just needed to relax and clear her mind.

Pepper was a different animal though. She'd had her smart phone out the entire time, apparently getting work done. How she could relax while on the clock was beyond Natasha's understanding.

Pepper snorted, then chuckled. _Ok, maybe not on the clock then_.

Natasha turned to look at the woman who was becoming a friend to her. "Just what is so funny Ms. Potts?"

"Oh, uh, nothing Natasha. Just reading a funny story."

"Oh boy. It's not one of those fanfiction stories is it? I'm sure Tony told you all about those…"

Pepper sighed. "Of course he did. And yes it is, but it's pretty good. It's a really cute story where Clint's a cupid and…"

"Wait, did you say cupid? Like he's an actual cupid?"

"Yes, wings and all! And when people need help finding their soul mates he shoots them with a special arrow…"

"Oh god Pepper. I've heard enough."

"… and he finds his soul mate but he isn't hers and…"

Natasha sat up just a touch, giving Pepper the evil assassin eye.

"Oh cut it out Romanoff, I know very well you will neither harm nor kill me. But, since I'm your friend, I'll stop talking about a subject that obviously makes you uncomfortable."

Natasha wasn't sure how to respond so she didn't. She simply lay back down and tried to forget about fanfiction. It wasn't all that easy considering how Pepper would giggle every five minutes at least it seemed.

Natasha had been satisfied with the safety of the spa and the results of the background checks SHIELD did on every worker there to the point that she was comfortable enough to try and take a slight nap during the remainder of her massage. She cleared her mind, listened to the soothing music, and waited for sleep to take her.

When it did she found herself dreaming. She was in mountains somewhere, no civilization in sight, not even a trail. She was above the tree line, lying on her back surrounded by delicate little wildflowers. The sun shone in her face, and the cool breeze teased her hair.

She closed her eyes, sighing. This was bliss.

She heard a distant banging noise, and sat up to find its source. Down in the valley she could make out a cabin amongst a grove of aspen trees. She saw someone there, apparently working on something outside the cabin.

Curious, she left to investigate.

When she was within 50 yards she crested a small hill and the cabin came into view. It was a small log cabin, and looking as if it had been built by hand. Its occupant was outside, chopping wood. The smell of a wood fire wafted to her nostrils and she breathed it in greedily. This was wonderful.

She didn't have Clint's eyes, so she squinted somewhat at the person outside the cabin. It was a man, about 5'11'' she estimated, with messed sandy hair, his back to her. As she continued her approach she could see rippling chords of muscle across his back and arms. Sweat glistened on his body in the sun, and she found warmth growing in her belly.

She was getting close now, and he was so familiar, but she couldn't place it. Yet, despite not knowing his identity, she found her heart rate increasing and her breath coming more ragged. She swallowed audibly as she felt desire grow within her, and adjusted her shirt to better display her figure.

He stopped after splitting one last log and tilted his head to the side, listening. He turned slowly, and she found herself not twenty feet from her partner, at the one safe house he had yet to reveal to her, the cabin he had built with his own hands. "Clint…" she whispered.

His eyes were glacial ice blue, dancing with magic. She froze. She couldn't move. She couldn't even scream.

"Natasha…" he hissed, and he stalked towards her like every bit the predator that he was.

xxxxxxxxxx

"Natasha…" Pepper said quietly, trying to rouse the Russian. The massage was over. Time to leave.

The assassin woke with a start and jumped from the table, assuming a defense stance. Pepper startled backwards, almost tripping over herself. "Whoa! It's ok! It's me, Pepper!"

Awareness came back to Natasha's eyes, and she sighed. "Sorry Pepper." She went about covering herself.

Pepper let out an awkward laugh. "No, I should know better and let sleeping assassins lie. You ready to go? Our time is up."

"Yes I'm ready. Let's go get our things." Natasha led the way back to the changing rooms, pushing the dream from her mind.

xxxxxxxxxx

"Come on Bro, can't you give it a rest?" Clint slurred his words as he attempted to dissuade Tony Stark from starting another rant about him and Natasha. "What about the endless number of stories about FrostIron?"

Bruce snickered and Steve grinned. Tony, not near as drunk as he liked to act, responded immediately.

"Yeah, well, they still write you and Natasha together in half of those stories! Come on Clint, you can't say you've never thought about it? Hell, even I did, back when she was Natalie…"

Bruce braced for Clint to launch himself at Tony for such an admission about his partner, but the archer simply sighed and took a seat, slouching. "You guys just don't know what it's like." Their silence encouraged him to continue.

"She's the best partner I've ever had. The best friend I've ever had. I'm not willing to do anything to jeopardize that."

Steve and Tony shared a glance. "But, what if SHE wanted YOU? What if she wanted something beyond what you currently have?"

"She'd tell me."

"Are you so sure?"

"She'd tell me when she was ready. But If I said something and she wasn't ready to hear it? She'd run. And I may not ever find her again." He paused for a moment, then added, "I just can't lose her now."

"Dammit Barton, you two are already SOOO compromised! You just need to DO something about it!"

"What do you mean?" Now, Tony Stark was not often accused of being a man of honor. But he and Natasha had spoken in confidence earlier. To completely spill the beans would probably be wrong, and lead up to whatever torture THE BLACK WIDOW or any crazy fanfiction writer could dream up. So he kept his mouth shut.

"Well, if it's so obvious to us and everyone else in the world…"

"Wait, is that true Steve? Bruce?"

Uh…

Bruce deflected; "Why don't you tell us about one of your missions that isn't in these stories. One that didn't have footage that was stolen."

Barton was just drunk enough to be redirected. So he did. He told them about Tijuana.

"God she was so beautiful that night. It always amazes me how she can go from deadly to stunning with so little effort. She had got herself invited to an exclusive party in an expensive hotel where our mark would be that night, searching for beautiful women to seduce, kidnap, and sell into the slave trade.

It had been easy for her to become his primary interest for the night, and it didn't take long for her to act drunk enough to be led to his hotel room.

Coulson was my eyes on the dance floor, I was _her_ eyes in the hotel room. I was across the street at a different hotel keeping eyes on her with a high powered rifle."

Clint looked up and saw Steve's raised eye brow. "Yeah I know. Can't use the bow every time. I still brought it though, thank god."

"The guy had taken down his curtains, as he was a bit of an exhibitionist. Fine with me, gave me a clear shot no matter where he was in the room, as long as Natasha stayed clear. She knew I was there, and she liked to play with me some times. I earned it I guess, given all the teasing I was always doing through the comms."

Banner interrupted a question on his face. "Play with you?"

Barton took a swig of the hard liquor, grimacing. "She, uh, played along with the mark's fetish, showing herself off at the window while he undressed her. She stared straight at where she knew I was, licking her lips, touching herself… "

"Whoa, okay Clint, we get the picture…" a reddening Steve interjected.

"Oh, sorry guys."

"Hey, no complaints here…" Tony smirked. Bruce smacked him over the head. "Hey! Can't a guy be honest?!"

Clint continued. "The mark went to lie on the bed. She pulled out a sedative injection hidden in the back of her corset…"

Tony's attention snapped back from his drink to Clint. "Did you just say corset?"

Clint smiled. "Yeah, it's amazing. It's black and makes her ass _and_ her tits pop like you wouldn't believe…"

"WHOA there Barton!" It was Bruce this time. "TMI man, TMI!" Clint looked up and saw Steve getting bright red, his head in his hands.

"Oh, uh, sorry guys. It kind of goes with the territory I guess. She doesn't have to sleep with them, not anymore, but she _does_ have to get them into compromising positions…"

"Okay Clint, we get the picture." Steve wasn't sure how much more of this he could take before reaching his limit of embarrassment for the day.

"Yeah. So, the mark sat down, and she was going to go in and sedate him, when he pulled a gun out from under his pillow and shot her in the chest."

"Shit." It was Tony who spoke. The others remained silent.

"Yeah. The fucker didn't get a chance to so much as take another breath, I'll tell you that. After I'd blown the guy's head all over the wall I broke open the rest of my widow and shot a line over with my bow. I crashed through her window and got to her while she was still barely conscious. She tried to say something but only managed to cough up blood. I begged her to hang on. I tried to tell her then…"

Clint looked down into his drink, and the others remained silent.

"Well, she was unconscious in a matter of seconds, so it doesn't matter. They patched her up and her modified super-soldier healing helped her live. The bad guy went to hell and we all got well. The End."

The other men looked between each other, not really sure what to say. Clint, despite his inebriated condition, recognized the awkwardness, and went with his tried and true method for deflecting emotions. He jumped up, suddenly acting cheery.

"Hey, I've got something to show you guys! Be right back!" He ran into his apartment for his bow and a special arrow, leaving the other Avengers confused and uncertain.

xxxxxxxxxx

By the time Natasha and Pepper walk into the commons area looking for everyone, the place is a mess and a tight-rope is stretched across the room, hung by arrows. The women exchanged glances.

"Tony?" Pepper called out, starting to fret what they might find. This could take quite a clean-up crew.

Natasha spoke up. "Jarvis, where are the Avengers?"

"Thor has left to visit Jane, and the others Avengers, besides yourself, are upstairs in Mr. Stark's and Ms. Pott's quarters."

Pepper sighed. This wasn't going to be good. It would probably require repairs. _Hmmm, maybe I could get Clint to do it…_

When the women walked into the penthouse they were greeting by the sound of singing.

_Good_ singing. And a piano.

Barton's voice sang out, echoing throughout the large room.

"Dearest Natasha, your ending's arrived, the ring on your hand is mine tonight. Thank you Natasha, this is goodbye, let me just smile and say it's raining out tonight."

Natasha turned and walked back into the elevator, hitting the close doors button continually until she was alone. They all turned to see her as the doors closed. Pepper was white with shock.

_Well fuck._

**God, did I just do that? Did I just end with Dearest Natasha? Ug. I'm a bad person. Oh well. Special thanks to my trusty betas: brawler25 & Jabberswife, & to my reviewers from Chapter 7: Precious93, Guest, ShadowBeats22107, Guest, wolfhawke26, paintallthestuff, JoMISm, Sabrina , & Alpha Flyer. Thank you for reviewing, it gives me happy feels. **** PS, I love constructive criticism, (it's one way to improve) but if you'd feel more comfortable giving that privately feel free to PM me. **

**Stories referenced in this chapter: "Cupid" by AlphaKantSpell , "Iron Man knows all" by PercyJacksonTheAwesome, "Artificial Intelligence" by Kyaticlikestea, "The Golden Rule" by StaySeated**. **"Dearest Natasha" is a real song. **

**Cookies for whoever finds the comic book references from this chapter. **

**Warning: I've **_**bairly**_** started chapter 9, so it **_**could **_**be more than 1 week before the next update. I'll do my absolute best! To make up for it a spoiler: Clint and Natasha will deal with the 'Dear Natasha' singing in their own way & get back to their own 'normal.' 2****nd**** spoiler: chapter 9's title is "A Hawk and a Spider walk into a bar." **


	9. Ch9: a Hawk and a Spider walk into a bar

"Avengers: Fanfiction"

**I don't own the characters, or the song "Hallelujah." Don't sue. All hail Marvel & Disney. (But seriously, Fraction & DeConnick, Spencer, Joss, etc: I'll let you use my stuff if you want. Just PM me to let me know & give me a teeny credit in the letters page or something!)**

**This chapter is rated M for sexual situations. **

**Last time: the guys got Clint drunk, Nat & Pepper were at the spa. They returned to a mess and Barton singing "Dear Natasha." Oh dear:**

_**Barton's voice sang out, echoing throughout the large room. **_

"_**Dearest Natasha, your ending's arrived, the ring on your hand is mine tonight. Thank you Natasha, this is goodbye, let me just smile and say it's raining out tonight."**_

_**Natasha turned and walked back into the elevator, hitting the close doors button continually until she was alone. They all turned to see her as the doors closed. Pepper was white with shock.**_

_**Well fuck.**_

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Chapter 9: A Hawk and a Spider walk into a bar…

"Why the Hell are you just sitting there Barton?! Follow her!"

Clint new better than to disobey Pepper when she used _that_ tone, so he stumbled towards the stairs. Steve stopped him.

"Whoa there soldier, you're a bit off-balance. I think the elevator may be a better option…"

Clint mumbled unintelligibly and changed direction.

He stumbled into the elevator. "Try the gym!" Tony called after him. The doors closed.

Bruce spoke first. "Um, should someone follow him?"

"Absolutely not," Pepper answered quickly. "Those two need their privacy."

"But in his condition…"

"Jarvis, please monitor Agent Barton and alert the Avengers if he is in danger of harm."

"Yes, miss Potts."

"There. It's all settled. Now about clean-up…"

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The elevator doors closed and Clint hit the button for the floor the gym was on. Whoops, no he didn't. Stupid alcohol. He pressed a different button.

He actually jumped a little when he realized someone was in the elevator with him.

"Tasha! You're here!"

She stared at him from opposite front corner of the elevator, arms crossed, a blank expression on her face.

Silence.

Clint shifted nervously. "Um, hi Tasha." His words came with a slight slur to them.

She sighed. Trying to calm herself, perhaps?

"I'm sorry Nat…"

"Don't worry Barton. I just… it's just…" _geeze, he's the drunk one and I can't form a coherent sentence?_

Before she could continue he wrapped her in a clumsy hug. He smelled of alcohol, but also a deep, rich spice that had her closing her eyes and just taking him in.

"I need you Tasha. Don't run, please…" he begged from her hair.

She pushed him off and chuckled just a little. "I'm not going anyway, except to put you to bed." Right on cue the doors opened to his floor. "Let's go, drunk-guy."

He followed like an obedient puppy. "You're not mad at me?"

"You're actually a pretty good singer Clint," she started as she ushered him to his bedroom, "and just because the song has my name in it doesn't mean it's about me. For starters, I'm not dead."

She sat him on the bed and started removing his boots. He fell onto his back. "… and you don't have a ring…" he mumbled.

He should have realized she would hear him, but he was surprised when she tensed at his words. It was just for a moment, and she went back to work on his other boot.

She started unbuckling his pants.

"Whoa, Nat, if you want in there all you have to do is ask!"

She rolled her eyes. "Please. I wouldn't have to even say a word and you know it."

Usually such banter would produce an explicit response from the archer, but he remained oddly silent as she pulled down his pants, revealing simple gray boxer-briefs. "Off with the shirt Barton."

"Uh, can't move…" he groaned, with a bit more drama than was realistic.

Fine. She could play that way.

Not like he was really going to remember tonight anyway.

She trailed her hands up his legs, his muscles tensing under her touch. _I could get used to this_, her thoughts betrayed before she could catch them. Her hands danced just past his groin, fingers teasing his hips, and a slight groan escaped him.

He was all muscle and sinew and she couldn't resist the temptation. She slid her fingers under the hem of his shirt and started moving up his abs. She leaned down, whispering, "Shirt off, Barton."

He arched his back to allow her better access to remove his shirt but no more. She could reach no further from her current position, and his shirt was still on. So she climbed on the bed and straddled him.

He hissed in a breath at the pressure of her weight on his hips. He started instantly to harden. She continued her movement up his chest, her fingers sprayed and taking in as much of him as she could. He helped a little with the shirt now, not wanting her to have to move her hands from his chest to deal with the pesky clothing.

She came to his pecks and let one fingernail drag over each of his nipples. He leaned his head back and sucked in a breath.

Quickly she moved her hands to his back where she flipped his shirt over his head, then pulled it over his arms and tossed it to the floor. He swallowed audibly and propped himself up with one hand and rested the other hand on her hip.

He was basically panting now, and every little movement she made sent vibrations straight to his cock. She rested her hands on his arms, and he involuntarily flexed them for her. He moved closer, staring at her neck, afraid to make eye contact for what he might find there.

"Tasha…"

He froze, suddenly and powerfully overtaken with nausea. He threw her off of him into the bed and started running for the bathroom.

Natasha broke out into laughter.

After a significant period of retching and flushing Natasha made her way over to the doorway of the bathroom. A pathetic Clint Barton rested his head on the toilet bowl, clad only in his underwear and hole-ridden socks. She leaned against the doorframe and crossed her hands. "You need me to hold your hair back, Barton? Come on, time for bed."

He moaned as she pulled him up and pushed him back to his bed and under the covers. A few minutes later she returned with Ibuprofen and a saline drip.

"Since I'm a good partner I will spare you the misery of a hangover tomorrow, Agent Barton. But you will owe me. And I plan on collecting."

He only moaned as she went to work. By the time she had the IV inserted (don't try this at home kiddies!) he had had already fallen asleep. She finished tucking him in and smiled. He looked so relaxed perhaps she should be proud of herself.

Not really ready to leave she grabbed an extra pillow and blanket and lay down on his couch. She really did try to sleep but it didn't come easy, and she soon found herself checking on Clint and removing his IV. As she held pressure on the site he stirred slightly and turned towards her. "Tasha…" he mumbled in his sleep. Guess she really was in his dreams.

She went back to her room to attempt sleep, but left the evidence of their encounter spread across his bedroom.

xxxxxxxxxx

The next morning Clint awoke feeling good. He'd slept in, and he'd slept soundly for most the night. He stretched and looked around the room. His boots and pants lay discarded by the bed, his shirt had been tossed onto the floor by the foot of the bed, and a saline drip was attached to a stand near his bed.

So, he hadn't been dreaming, after all.

A grin spread across his face as he got up to take a piss. Natasha's hands running up his legs, his abs, his chest…

He discovered that, no big surprise here, he had some significant morning wood to address. He didn't really have any big plans for the day, so he turned the shower to hot and stepped in to take care of some business at his leisure.

xxxxxxxxxx

The day passed normally enough. After Clint's shower he noticed a text from Natasha.

"One of my safe houses needs tending. Be back later."

He started typing. "Stock a few good beers while you're there." It had always been a running joke between them that she only ever had vodka at her safe houses. Whenever the two of them used one of her locations he would constantly complain about wanting a beer.

Clint went about his day, fletching a few arrows to start with when he heard his phone ping her reply. "Only if you take me out for one tonight."

Huh?

Was Natasha Romanoff asking him out on a date?

He typed a reply. "Only beer? Didn't think you were a cheap date, Nat."

"I'm not Barton. You can't afford a REAL date with me."

Ouch.

"Hmm. I could 'borrow' Stark's credit card…"

"Ha! As much as I'd like to see his face when I charge $10k I think Pepper takes care of all of that so it really wouldn't bother him."

"I just want to 'get away from the kids' a little tonight."

He smiled. They had joked a few times that the Avengers were just overgrown children. He could understand her need to spend some time away from the others after the intensity that had been the last few days.

"You got it babe. PS, stock me Stella."

"Meet me at that bar near the tower at 9 tonight."

xxxxxxxxx

Clint looked down at his watch again. 9:45.

She was late.

He sat at the bar, nursing a beer, and stole another glance at the shot of vodka in front of the extra seat next to his. He'd had to fend off a few interested in the seat as the bar started to fill. Hell, he'd even turned down a few cute little co-eds who wanted to find out about who the rugged, mysterious stranger was. He smiled. He was getting older, but he hadn't lost it yet.

Except for the part that he was horribly compromised for only one particular red haired assassin.

Oh yeah, that.

His heartbeat increased. His body was still on fire from her touch last night. Had she been playing with him? It wouldn't be the first time. Hell, maybe it was his punishment for his little performance on the piano earlier. Wind him up and let him go, with no contact and no end in sight. He knew she had a good heart in there, but Natasha sure could be, well, difficult, sometimes.

The fact that he'd had to listen to the lovesick wailings of the locals for the last 45 minutes didn't make his drink taste any better either. She had to pick Karaoke night to do this. She knew how much it bothered him to listen to random people sing so far off key. It was a medieval form of torture as far as he was concerned.

The cute blond that had earlier flashed her substantial cleavage at him in an attempt to earn Natasha's seat and his attention for the night got up on stage, giving him a wink. He finished his beer, and raised his glass at the bartender.

"Another?"

Clint nodded.

As he sat the new beer down the bartender looked to the lonely shot of vodka. "I don't think she's coming mate."

"She'll be here." He tried to convince himself.

The co-ed continued singing her Taylor Swift song to the cheers of her friends and Clint stared at the vodka shot. Maybe she wasn't coming. Maybe he should go back to the tower, or maybe catch a cab and see how his apartment building was doing. It had been a while since he'd been there, after all…

The door opened.

The blond continued in her song, "I knew you were trouble when you walked in…"

Clint turned his head and stopped breathing.

Natasha walked, no, _sauntered_ into the bar, wearing tight hip-hugging jeans, tall black boots with 3" heals, and a black sequined blouse that was tied around her neck and back with a thin chord. The fabric dipped some, revealing ample cleavage, and the bottom came to a point just below her naval. Her back was completely bare, and she was bra-less. Her hair was curled and half-up, revealing her neck and clavicle, but still cascading down her back.

Clint barely swallowed his beer.

She walked past the tables and the stage, scanning the bar for all threats, cover, and exit points (and female competition), and obtaining the eyes of every patron. She stopped next to Clint and downed the shot, much to the chagrin of the blond still singing, and to the wide grin of the bartender.

"Sorry I'm late. Do you know how difficult it is to find Stella in Appalachians BFE?"

Clint didn't know how she got there and back so fast, but honestly he didn't care. He looked her up and down. "All this for me?"

She rolled her eyes. "Don't flatter yourself Barton. I've got it, so why don't I flaunt it every now and then? It's not like we have to keep a low profile anymore…"

"Hey, no complaints here. I just wish you'd told me so I wouldn't look like such a bum…"

She looked him over. "Well, Paul Bunyan just out of the woods has its own appeal to some…"

"Awe come on Nat! I was going for rugged and mysterious!"

She grinned and lightly slapped his face. "Aren't you just too cute."

He rolled his eyes and looked back to the stage where the blond had just finished her song. "Well, _she_ thought so."

"Oh did she?"

Natasha grabbed his hand and almost pulled him off of the stool, leading him over to a small table front and center to the bar where the blond was chatting up two men. She walked straight up to the more handsome of the two and put her foot up on his chair, between his legs. She leaned down near his face. "I'm afraid you're in my seat, handsome," she purred. She stepped back and the two men stumbled away from the table, excusing themselves. She waived Barton over to sit, and the men grumbled and left the bar when they realized she hadn't come alone. The blond and her friends followed suit.

"Wow, Nat, you really know how to clear out a place…"

"Just cleaning out the riff-raff," she shrugged her shoulders, sitting. "There are plenty other needy tarts for your amusement if you want, or brutes with too much cologne if you swing that way…"

He put his hand over his heart. "Nat, you wound me. You know I have better taste than that…"

She arched an eyebrow. "Oh really? What about Wanda? Jessica? Bobbi? Charles Numberg…"

"Hey that guy was for a mission and you know it! As for the others, well, ok, just stop will ya? God, anything's better than listening to you tell me about my ex's…"

The next song started, and they looked up to see an awkward college kid attempting to make eyes with Natasha. Soon he started an awful rendition of a sappy love song.

"Um, what was that about Jessica?"

xxxxxxxxxx

A few more people sang; much more alcohol was drunk, and Natasha was starting to feel a little more relaxed. The two assassins had been reminiscing some about past missions, with her time as Natalie Rushman coming up frequently. Stark was always an easy target when one needed to let off a little steam, after all. Clint filled her in on some of the ridiculous fan fiction stories the guys had read together, and asked her to remind him to check the vents before entering them again.

Clint thought back to a different story he had read a few days earlier. "You remember that mission in Hanoi?"

Natasha almost spit out her drink. "Which one?" she choked out.

"You know which one. Where they placed a camera in our room to make sure we were actually a couple."

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "How could I forget."

"I read a fan fiction that was almost exactly like it."

She froze. None of THAT mission had been leaked. "But, how?"

"Well, ok, maybe not exactly. But it brought up the thought." He swallowed the rest of his beer, gathering his strength. "So, hypothetically, let's say that the camera position was such that you weren't able to obscure it with your coat and allowing you the chance to put Meg Ryan to shame."

She snickered at that particular memory. "Ok…"

"And… it was such that you couldn't really get out of view anywhere in the room."

They did this on occasion, went over hypotheticals for missions, so she dismissed it as such. She took the bait. "What about the bathroom?"

"Just as bad. Camera in the shower even."

"Hmm. Closet would be too obvious. What's our cover? Married or hot 'n heavy?"

"Hu? Can't married people be hot 'n heavy?"

She just glared at him.

"Ok, ok. Either. But our excuse to get back to the room was basically that you're horny and are dragging me back there to get it on."

She sat for a minute. "What about audio? Can I whisper to you?"

That's where she'd find the way out, he realized. He felt a little disappointed. "Yes, probably."

"How about comms? Is SHIELD listening in?"

That question threw him a little. If she cared if SHIELD could hear, then possibly…

"No. It's deep cover."

She looked away, thinking, and pretended to listen as someone finished a song. A smile crossed her face.

"Sing for me Clint."

"Sorry, what?"

"Sing for me. Go sing me a song."

"Uh…"

She didn't wait for him to think of an excuse as she pulled him off of his chair and pushed him onto the stage. The crowd clapped and urged him on, at Natasha's request, and he walked over to the DJ. Clint noticed a 6 string guitar sitting behind the Karaoke machine.

The older man looked up to him. "What'll it be, son?"

"Actually, could I just borrow your guitar?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Sure thing. Good luck, Romeo."

Clint refrained from correcting him as he tuned the guitar. Natasha smiled as he walked up to the microphone.

"I've heard there was a secret chord  
That David played, and it pleased the Lord  
But you don't really care for music, do ya?"

Natasha leaned back into her chair, crossing her legs. She really did love to hear Clint sing, despite her complaining endlessly when he did it thought the comms on missions.

"Baby I have been here before  
I know this room, I've walked this floor  
I used to live alone before I knew you.  
I've seen your flag on the marble arch  
Love is not a victory march  
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah"

Clint had looked up and locked eyes with the red headed assassin now, and she could feel the temperature in the room rise.

"Maybe there's a God above  
But all I've ever learned from love  
Was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you  
It's not a cry you can hear at night  
It's not somebody who has seen the light  
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah"

Clint's heart was pounding in his chest. Would she hear _how _the song was for her? Would she realize that _every_ song was for her?

Natasha tried her best to control her breathing, but it took every bit of strength she had just to control her face. Her breathing increased the friction of the shirt fabric against her breasts and she felt her nipples hardening. Damn her tells. She could conceal them from anyone but Barton…

"I did my best, it wasn't much  
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch  
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you  
And even though it all went wrong  
I'll stand before the Lord of Song  
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah"

As he finished one final "Hallelujah" the entire bar erupted into applause, with the female screams the loudest. Natasha smiled and looked around with her eyebrows raised. Looks like Clint had enchanted more than just herself.

The older fellow accepted his guitar back and winked. One strapping college-age football player patted Clint on the back as he walked down from the stage, saying "Go get her, tiger!"

Clint put on his best 'don't blame me I'm just as confused at their reaction as you are' look as he approached Natasha. She angled her head in acknowledgement. He took one hand in his and, bending down, he kissed it chastely. "Let's get out of here before they make me do it again."

She smiled, happy to play along with the crowd, and stood. People actually clapped as they walked out the door, and Clint gave the patrons a thumbs-up and he held the door for Natasha.

She sighed as they walked towards the tower. "You're incorrigible Barton."

"Awe, come on Nat, you gotta admit it was kind of cute."

"Cute my ass. If that story is all over Facebook tomorrow I'm taking it out on you."

Oops.

Clint looked behind Natasha, or rather, at her behind. "Well, yes, your ass IS quite cute…"

She snorted. "Tell that to Fury when he reads about it on Twitter."

"Naw, his ass is probably hairy. Besides, you're the one who asked me to sing, after all. What were your words?" Clint cleared his voice, and continued with the best dramatic lust-filled impression he could muster, "Sing for me Clint."

"You and your memory, Barton, I swear, one day…"

Two big, burly men stepped out of the nearby alley and blocked their path.

They were wearing track suits.

"Hey Bro." one said.

Clint rolled his eyes and muttered to himself "ya gotta be kiddin me…"

Natasha whispered, "you know these guys?"

"Gawd, don't ask." (* see the Hawkeye comics).

The ugly one (well, one of them) pointed a baseball bat at Clint. "I said, Hey Bro. Boss don' want you around no more."

"You're a little out of your territory guys…" He looked at Natasha. "and WAY out of your league."

Two large vans skidded to a stop nearby, spilling more track suit mafia into the streets. Even more approached from the alleyway and surrounded the two Avengers.

The stupid one (well, one of them) pointed at Natasha. "Maybe we take your red headed (derogatory patriarchal epithet) in trade for Boss' wife, huh Bro? (*see Hawkeye #3)

Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Oh, _those_ guys. They're still bothering you Clint?"

"I guess they're kind of like roaches in New York. No matter how many times you bug bomb your place, they just keep coming back…"

"HEY BRO! We talkin to YOU, BRO!"

Natasha looked at fat and ugly. "You listen to me, you moron…"

He spit at her, hitting one of her boots. "Just what are YOU gonna do, little girlie?"

Clint shook his head. "More guys." Natasha smiled.

"You idiots are gonna need WAY more guys…"

Natasha sprung into action, producing two knives from _god knows where_ and stabbed the two men through the palms of their right hands. Clint pounded on the nearest thug, and the two Avengers made short work of the large group, watching each other's backs and inflicting endless non-lethal but highly debilitating injuries on the attackers.

After at least every thug had been injured at least once from the duo they started running for the vans and the alleys. Natasha grabbed a big stupid looking one and shoved him up against the building wall.

"You tell your Russian mafia boss to stay away from the Avengers and from Clint Barton." She narrowed her eyes. "You tell him that a deadly Russian spider waits to strike if he does not."

She shoved him away and the man barely made it back to the van as it sped off.

"Well, just another normal ending to a normal night out for drinks," Natasha quipped as she brushed some dust off of her jeans.

Clint had a few scrapes but was not much worse for wear. "Wow Nat, I've gotta keep you around more often. I didn't even get _one_ concussion this time!"

"Why do you still keep that building Barton?" (* See the Hawkeye comics – he owns an apartment building). They continued walking as if nothing had happened.

"You have tons of safe houses Tasha, why's it different?"

"Because this place of yours isn't safe, for one thing. You're there, and everyone knows it. That defeats the purpose. The location is compromised. So why stay?"

It was a fair enough question. Natasha had moved in full-time to the tower, but he kept this place on the side. Just in case, perhaps? A little solace on the side? A little extra privacy?

He thought back briefly to all that he'd experienced there. How he'd gotten to know all the occupants. How they watched his dog all the time. How he'd even watched some of their kids. He looked down.

"I guess I'm just invested now."

She let it drop, instead allowing the two of them to slip into a comfortable silence as they continued their short walk back to the tower. Natasha resolved to pay a special, private, visit to the 'boss' of this Russian Mafia that was a thorn in Clint's side. If he was too stupid to get her message from that night, he certainly wouldn't miss it then.

**Special thanks to my betas brawler25 & Jabberswife! & big thanks to the reviewers from chapter 8: pure-black-wings, sss, sd, ShadowBeats22107, jerseycaramel, wolfhawke26, Precious93, IcarusOwl, JoMiSm, MooneyTheAlchemist, Esha Napoleon, Guest, LNCrow, scifigrl10 & epicvampiregod; and to everyone who added me/the story as a follow/fav. You guys give me warm & fuzzies. **** Stories in this chapter: inspired by the songfic "Hallelujah" by Porcelain Maiden, the song "I kew you were trouble" is by Taylor Swift, "Hallelujah" is by John Cale. The story that was Clint's inspiration for the mission hypothetical was "Painted Blind" by Michelle. **

**PSA: Natasha did the right thing giving Clint ibuprofen, don't take Tylenol (offending ingredient acetaminophen) when you've been drinking. It can damage your liver. Also really, don't try hooking up your own saline drip at home. Seriously. **

**Comic cookies from chapter 8: Clint saying "Bro," – Hawkeye comics, "Anastasia's Salon" – A+X #2 comic. Barton as a carpenter & talents on the piano & singing – Renner in real life to different extents, so I read. No privacy invasion intended my man (since that stuff is public) - you just make such a great Hawkeye. BTW, anyone see "Hansel & Gretel?" I swear it was Barton playing Hansel! It was just SOO Barton! The devil-may -care attitude & cockiness, the occasional awkwardness with the ladies, the number of concussion inducing collisions/strikes… ;) Go see that movie NOW. TODAY. **


	10. Chpt 10: the dreams that come

"Avengers: Fanfiction"

**I don't own any character, song, or fanfiction mentioned in this chapter. (But seriously, Fraction, DeConnick, Spencer, Joss, etc: I'll let you use my stuff if you want. PM me!) **

**This chapter is rated M for bad nightmares. There's probably cursing too.**

**A/N: by the title of this chapter you can assume someone will be dreaming. It's at the end. Lots of other cool stuff happens too, don't worry. (honestly I had trouble with the title for this chapter) Here at the beginning Bruce reads fan fiction. The words from the story are in **_**italics**_**.**

**Where we left off last time: Natasha put drunken Clint to bed, and teased him a little. The next evening Clint and Natasha went to a bar. Clint demonstrated his singing talents, sober this time. A little flirting occurred. They got jumped by the track suit mafia from the Hawkeye comics, and showed them what for. **

xxxxxxxxxx

Chapter 10: the dreams that come

Surprisingly, Bruce was the last person to arrive the next morning in what had been dubbed the strategy room. Usually the punctual type, his face reddened a bit as he slunk into one empty chair. Director Fury was already on the screen talking to the team.

None of the Avengers commented on his tardiness. They all simply assumed he had been working. Which was only partially true.

Bruce had been up very late working on the finishing touches to Stark's new invention. Or, perhaps, _their_ new invention. While Tony had declared his creation good days ago, Bruce languished on, checking and double-checking everything from the mechanics to the programming. This was important. This could save the life of one of his friends.

But after convincing himself that there was nothing more for him to triple-check, he had taken a little break. After sipping on a new cup of coffee for a few moments, he decided he would use his 'break' to be productive.

So he pulled up some fan fiction.

He searched different criteria before being drawn to a particular story. It was entitled "Poignancy." He started to read.

_"Bruce," Tony began seriously, "Have you been cheating on science with sleep?" Bruce shrugged and smiled to himself as he unrolled his shirtsleeves."_

Bruce smiled at the story. He rarely cheated on science with sleep. He continued reading to discover that, in the story, he was reading fan mail a child had sent to him.

"_Deer Mr. Hulk,_

_The kids make funn fun of me at skool school. Mommy says it's because I'm diffrent. But your diffrent, to, so now I'm not alone. Your my hereo hero, Mr. Hulk._

_Thank you"_

Bruce had slowly put down his glasses and stared blankly at the computer screen as tears clouded his vision.

He allowed plenty of time to compose himself in order to ensure Tony wouldn't need another new table.

xxxx

He now looked around the new table at his friends. He had come to accept that the Hulk could be an invaluable asset in battle, and could protect his friends. But he, Bruce Banner, was useful too, and wanted to do everything in his power to protect them.

Fury continued speaking, ignoring Banner's tardiness. "Hill will keep you updated if the threat increases. She'll be at the tower later today to go over some details and plan a response with Rogers, Barton and Romanoff."

"Considering who we're looking at, and the comms and chatter we did intercept regarding who he was attempting to contact and the tech he was trying to develop, Stark and Banner have been working on, well let's call it a vaccine of sorts."

Tony stood, and Jarvis brought up a three dimensional hologram of what looked like some kind of mite. "This, my friends, is a nano-bot detection system. We inject it into you bloodstream,"

"Stop right there Stark," Natasha snipped. "You're not putting anything into my blood."

Before Tony could begin an annoying and boring lecture on why these creepy little critters were safe, Bruce spoke up.

"Don't worry Natasha. I've double and triple-checked the mechanical system and the code. They're benign. They can't cause harm, no matter what someone tells them to do. They're strictly a warning system."

She tensed, and Clint slid his hand from his lap to her thigh. Her breath caught ever so slightly and she had to work to control her heart rate, but she realized his intention so she calmed, and nodded to Tony. He took it as a signal to continue.

"So, we inject a few of these guys into your bloodstream and they report if they come into contact with a hostile force, so to say. Then a message is sent to every Avenger, Fury and Hill reporting who has been infected. Just like many diseases, early detection here is the key. Bruce?"

Banner continued, "IF, and that's a big if, someone gets a nasty nano-bug in their system we'll be able to respond quickly with whatever treatment may be necessary."

Natasha set her jaw. She still didn't look very happy about this.

Fury spoke up next. "I know this is something some of you may not be happy about. But, for those of you still on SHIELD's payroll, this is mandatory. Our analysts have identified this as our current top threat, and I will NOT lose my best agents to a bunch of tiny robots."

"And what of the general population sir, or first responders, or other agents of SHIELD for that matter?" Steve spoke up.

"I am currently working with Ms. Potts regarding sharing of the proprietary information and mass production of the technology. But I do believe she has been thinking along the same lines as you Steve, perhaps even branching out further into medical science."

Clint spoke up for the first time, albeit softly. "Sure would be cool if you could make little bots that could identify nasty things early like cancer or something."

"Exactly." Banner nodded his agreement.

Natasha rolled her eyes. She still didn't like the idea of these, things, floating around in her blood.

"Hill will arrive at the tower later this afternoon to go over the Hammer issue with Barton, Rogers and Romanoff. Until then, Avengers," and the screen went blank.

Bruce furrowed his brow. "Hammer?"

Tony signed. "Seems like my old pal Justin found a good lawyer to get him out."

Steve flipped through a file. "And he's been busy. Looks like he's been attempting to make contact with a few scientists who are known to work for terrorists."

Tony sighed. "That and more. Well, one thing at a time gang, Bruce, would you do the honors?"

Bruce put the briefcase on the table and opened it, revealing five syringes.

"None for Thor?" asked Natasha.

"Not yet. Asgardian physiology is too unknown to us at the moment. We'll have to stick with just the mostly-humans for now." Bruce smiled.

Clint feigned insult. "Hey, I'm 100% human. No performance enhancers or anything."

"Alright, so you're first then."

xxxxxxxxxx

After their respective injections Banner monitored the team for a while and tested the bots. He announced that everything was a go but he'd continue monitoring the systems remotely for several days.

Natasha squinted. "Are these things also tracking my location?"

"Not actively," Tony muttered. "They only broadcast when a threat is identified."

"Good," she replied, then narrowed her eyes at Stark. "Because if I find out that you're using these, _things_, to track me, you'll have the sad duty to inform Pepper that you are no longer able to father children."

Clint smiled at her. Ever the lady. "Hey Nat, I'm gonna help Steve with some new weapons technology, you want to come?"

She turned to Clint. He'd been a bit, off, this morning. "I have a bit of… business to take care of Barton. Might be 3-4 days." With that she started to walk towards the door. Everyone stopped and looked.

"Hey Tasha, wait a sec. Where are you going? What are you up to?"

She smiled a tired smile. "Don't worry about it Barton, it's not a big deal. Just stuff I need to take care of, like my last trip. I'll be fine," and she turned her back and left.

"Nat…"

Tony grabbed his arm. "Let her go, Clint. She's a big girl."

Clint scowled at him, but Stark just grinned.

"She's my partner, Tony. What if she needs backup? I need to at least know where…"

Steve decided to call him on his over-protective tendency. "Come on Clint, it's not like she's never been on a solo mission before. Or even gone off grid for just a little alone time, for that matter."

Clint knew he was right. Didn't make it any less frustrating though. He had gotten used to seeing her every day, knowing where she was and that she was okay.

Tony chuckled. "Don't worry Cupid. There's a little detail about our new nano-bot friends that Ms. Widow left before I could explain to everyone."

Clint looked around. "Why does it seem as though I'm the only one surprised by this?"

Tony ignored him. "They are, in fact, benign, like I said, but they monitor for more than just other nano-bots. They also monitor vitals. Heart rate, hormone levels, including adrenaline, brain activity, everything. If something goes wrong, like someone gets shot, the trackers activate."

Steve looked at Banner. "You two _have_ been busy little bees."

Bruce laughed. "Well, it's kept me occupied at least."

Clint shook his head as he left the room. "Just don't let her know until necessary, okay? Probably better for everyone's health."

xxxxxxxxxx

Steve and Clint walked to a nearby room where several briefcases of surveillance equipment waited. The technology of espionage had advanced significantly since the 40's, and Steve needed to catch up.

Clint spread out several different items on the table then the two sat. The archer didn't move. He stared at the table, the war within himself raging, a grimace on his face, his jaw set hard. Steve could see _something_ was wrong, but decided it was just better to wait until Clint was ready.

"Hey Steve, there's something I've been meaning to tell you."

Clint still wasn't giving eye contact. Steve wondered why.

Clint ran his fingers through his hair. "I was reading this fan fiction story and realized I'd never said something to you that I needed to."

Steve waited, trying to keep an open look on his face to encourage the archer. Clint looked up and met his eyes.

"Thanks."

For a moment, Steve wasn't sure what Barton was thanking him for. Then it made sense. "You mean for New York?"

"Yeah, for New York."

Steve blushed slightly, not really sure how to respond. "I was only doing what I believed was best for my country, Clint. I was right."

"But still, you have to admit including me was a little risky Cap." Clint looked up, locking his eyes with Steve's. "Why did you? Why did you bring me in to the team after everything I had just done?"

Steve thought for a minute. He guessed this was something that had bothered Clint for some time.

"I read your file after Fury brought us in. We all did. We had to be prepared for what we might face. What I saw there, and what I saw in your eyes in the med bay, made me realize I wanted you by my side when we faced Loki and the Chitari."

"I've fought alongside a lot of soldiers Clint, and I know what a man gains, and loses, in war." Steve paused. "Where did you serve?"

The question caught Barton off-guard. "Pardon?"

"Where did you serve with the Army? You file was unclear…"

Clint sighed. "Spent some time in Afghanistan. Diffusing bombs. Sniping. Special Ops. Did lots of stuff. Saw lots of stuff. Coulson snagged me up for SHIELD not too long after I was… released."

They sat in awkward silence for a moment. "Is that why you accepted me? I was a fellow soldier?"

Steve sighed. He needed to be fully honest with Clint. He owed it to him, even if it would be uncomfortable for them both.

"That, and more. I brought you in because of what I saw in Natasha, Clint." Barton stiffened.

"I had been getting to know her those few days. She reminded me a lot of Peggy, you know," he paused, admiration and pain in his eyes. "Her strength, determination, heart. I learned that Natasha Romanoff was a force to be reckoned with, that she wouldn't go down without a fight, and that she'd do whatever it took to get the job done."

He paused again. Get to the point Rogers. "But one thing was obvious. Natasha Romanoff was lost. When I saw her with you was the first time I saw her at home. When _she_ nodded her approval that was all I needed to know."

Clint lowered his head, nodding, and lost himself in thought again.

"You know, Clint, Natasha _is_ a lot like Peggy, but she is still very different." Clint raised his head, meeting the Captain's eyes, curious. "She's much darker. She's had a much harder go of things." Clint nodded at that. Steve took a deep breath.

"I think you may need to make the first move with her Clint." The archer froze, and stiffened. _Don't chicken out now, Rogers…_ "Peggy did it for me, and I hate to think about how I would have missed out on at least one kiss with her if she hadn't. But as strong as Natasha is, her own emotions are her stumbling block." Clint relaxed just a bit, knowing Steve was right with that particular assertion.

"Fear controls her here. I think she trusts you, loves you, NEEDS you, so deeply that she's terrified of loosing you because she is emotionally underdeveloped and just doesn't 'do' emotional stuff. She's afraid she'll screw it all up and you won't even be able to be partners anymore."

Silence enveloped the room. Clint didn't move one inch. Steve sighed.

"Please Clint, just think about it. I consider you both my friends. Don't let your opportunity slip away when you have the chance right now. You don't want to live with a lifetime of regret."

Clint's shoulders drooped. He knew where the sadness in Steve's plea came from.

More moments passed. "I'm…" Clint paused, taking a calming breath. "I'm truly sorry for everything you lost Steve. I honestly can't image…"

"Hey, it's ok. I'm working through it, and learning about my new life here. It's good to have a… family, here though. With the Avengers."

Clint chucked. "However dysfunctional we may be."

Steve laughed and stood, and clasped his hand on Clint's shoulder.

"Hey, you know what?" Steve waved at the table. "This stuff can wait. Why don't we go to the range and try out a few new weapons? Hill sent me some firearms with modifications I haven't seen before and I'd like some instruction from the best. What do you say?"

Clint let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "Sure thing Cap," he smiled, a bit relieved, as he stood. "Sounds like a plan to me."

xxxxxxxxxx

Natasha spend the next two day doing surveillance on the Russian mob Clint had dubbed "the track suit mafia" due to their, uh, "stylish", choice of dress. She learned who was who in the organization. Their general comings and goings. And finally, where the "big" boss lived.

The second night she infiltrated his mansion, completely unseen by the guards and easily bypassing the security system. She watched the lonely old man from the shadows, and set up permanent wires in different key locations. As color began to sneak into the sky she left, having gathered all the information she needed.

She spent the day sleeping in Clint's apartment, the one separate from the tower. She made a mental note to put together files on all the other tenants in his building later, just to be safe.

She awoke in the afternoon and made a quick trip down the block, getting a bite to eat and procuring a particular outfit for what she had planned. She remembered to text Clint so that he wouldn't come looking for her.

"Looks like I'll wrap this up early. Back at the tower tonight, late"

He responded, "We'll be waiting with bells on. Don't get into too much trouble. The paperwork would be a pain in the ass"

She smiled, and started getting her weapons together.

That night she changed her approach. She called ahead as the big boss' favorite madam, informing him that they were sending over a new girl for him, as a special thank you for his continued business. She arrived in a beautiful Porsche she had stashed at a private garage a while ago.

She wore one of their track suits, but very low cut and very tight. Several stages of guards quickly let her pass, oogling her as she came and went. They'd get theirs later.

She was escorted by one (only one!) big guard up to the master bedroom. There the old man sat in a wing-back chair, his face to the window. As the door shut behind her he stood, looking her over.

"Ah, I see Madame Marcelle was not exaggerating in her description of you." He moved over, dragging his oxygen tank, and sat on the bed as Natasha stayed still. "You are here for me, no?"

"Yes sir, I have come for you." (translated from Russian – lazy author)

"Ah, a beauty from the motherland! I am very pleased. Come here, my dear." He patted the space next to him on the bed.

Natasha kept her face blank. He had to be at least 80.

Disgusting.

As she started to walk forward she also began undressing. Slowly tugging the zipper on the tight sweatshirt down, until her black uniform underneath began to show.

The old man furrowed his brows. He'd never seen a woman fully clothed underneath her outfit when stripping for him…

She turned around, her back to him, and swayed as she suggestively removed the track pants, revealing her black cat suit. The old man let out a breath at the skin-tight material, and how it gripped her firm ass. She rolled her eyes, and turned.

At first he was overtaken by her body and her beauty. But when he finally looked back up to her eyes he saw a dark maliciousness that took him aback. He then noticed the knife in her hand.

"What is this? Guards!"

Natasha smiled. Now the REAL show began.

Two burley men ran in and she knocked them on their asses and out cold before the dirty old man could suck in another gasp of oxygen. He hit some hidden panic button and the rest of his entourage pounded towards the room. As she waited for them to enter she glanced back at the boss and smiled. He looked her over again, his eyes stopping at her waist. Where her Black Widow insignia was.

She saw his eyes widen in fear. Good.

"You have offended the wrong person, comrade."

The first few tripped over their fallen comrades and crashed to the floor, making a bigger mess. She hit them with her widow's bite and they were instantly unconscious. She took out the next 10 with smooth, efficient grace, breaking a different bone on every thug before knocking them unconscious.

When it was done 20 guards lay on the floor, most broken, some bleeding, and all unconscious. She stalked up to the old man, and took his shirt in her hand, and lifted him slightly from where he sat.

"You know who I am." It was not a question.

"… yes…" he barely whispered.

"I will say this to you once, and only once. Stay away from Clint Barton."

He looked confused. He sputtered again… "The… that thieving Avenger with the arrows?"

Natasha grinned. Clint had been a naughty boy.

"The very one. He is now off limits. Do you understand?"

"Yes…" he coughed for a moment, followed by wheezing, then regained composure. "…Yes, comrade. We will comply."

She sat him down, and he let out a breath of relief. "Good." she stepped over some, and on some, of the unconscious bodies littering the floor. She would love to see the lot of them later, each with a different cast of splint. She'd love to see the look on the old man's face when he was told that she had broken a different bone for each man. "Remember, old man, this is the only warning you will receive from me."

She disappeared into the night, smiling. She would love to see the lot of them later, each with a different cast or splint. She'd love to see the look on the old man's face when he was told that she had broken a different bone for each man. She'd never hear the end of it if Clint found out (and he probably would, considering how these guys were going to suddenly disappear from his life, and especially if he saw her handiwork), but it would be worth it if it gave him a few extra days of peace.

That's what partners are for, right?

xxxxxxxxxx

Clint was asleep on one of the big couches in the commons area when Natasha returned to the tower. Apparently he had given up on t.v. and was attempting a crossword puzzle when he fell asleep.

She marveled at him. Sometimes he could be a ridiculous sleeper. Sometimes she would find him sprawled everywhere, in a position that could not be comfortable. Sometimes he drooled. Sometimes he talked nonsense in his sleep. Sometimes he grimaced and moaned, fighting old demons. Sometimes he laughed. But occasionally, he slept the sleep of the innocent, full and restful, with peace on his face.

Tonight was not one of those nights.

She really considered taking a picture of him, one hand scrunching up the side of his face as he rested the weight of his head on his elbow, drool sliding down his arm, and the other hand down the back of his pants, where he likely had left it after scratching an itch. It could be excellent blackmail, especially if she implied she would give a copy to Stark.

Too late.

He fell out of the couch onto the floor as he sensed someone was watching him. "Muahhh… Wha? Who? … Tasha?"

"Good morning, Agent Barton."

He tried to non-chalantly pull his hand from his pants and wipe the drool from his face. "Uh, I must have fallen asleep. How'd your… business go?"

She smiled. "Smashingly."

"Ok, good…" he looked her up and down. She wasn't in uniform, but had a couple bags with her. Likely full of whatever weapons she had used during her 'business' trip. "You ok?"

"Yes. No injuries at all." She walked towards her door. "Thanks for waiting up."

"I didn't say I was…" he rubbed the back of his head, a little embarrassed.

"Good night, Clint," and she shut her door with a smile.

Xxxxxxxxxx

(spoiler: here's the spot of the chapter with the nightmares. Warnings for dreams of Coulson's murder, and Natasha's beatings and rape (this not in detail) courtesy of the Red Room. Dreams are in _italics_.)

_When she came into consciousness Natasha instantly knew where she was. She hadn't performed well that day and Ivan had beaten her and sent her off for punishment. _

_Here, in this dark room, she would wait for her punisher of the evening. The room had no windows, no furniture (except for a large, hard bed with no covers) and only limited lighting. The walls were covered as if a room in a psych ward where a patient was a threat to themselves, but Natasha knew otherwise. It was protection for the man or men who would join her should she decide to resist, so that she couldn't use a hard wall as a weapon. _

_They had designed the room to prevent escape and minimize possible weapons. They always beat the girls unconscious or drugged them before bringing them here and after they were done so that they wouldn't know where they actually were. _

_Here she would wait as long as they made her. She would go without food or water with only a bucket to relieve herself until they came to her._

_She sat against the wall opposite of the door, watching. She should try and get a little extra sleep on that bed, but she couldn't bring herself to touch it. They never kept sheets on it, and it was the only bed they used for ALL the girls. The resulting stains were memories that added to the torture when the time came. _

_She heard heavy footfalls approaching the door. She steadied herself. She would not give her attacker the satisfaction of screaming or crying. She wouldn't even speak. It didn't matter. He didn't matter. He was nothing. She would kill him one day anyway. She smiled. That was one little secrete Ivan had let slip when he saw her exemplary skills. As a rite of passage, Black Widows were allowed to hunt down and kill every single captor and punisher they had ever "worked" with. The only exception was Ivan himself._

_The heavy combat boots stopped in front of her door. Despite her resolve she could feel her body betray her and start to shake slightly._

_The door slammed open, revealing a dark, back-lit form. She sucked in a breath. He stalked towards her and as his blazing blue eyes came into view she couldn't hold back the scream…_

xxxxx

Natasha bolted up, realizing she was in her apartment in Avenger's tower, in her own bed. She was safe. And Clint wasn't going to…

She put her head in her hands. _God, she had dreamt that Clint was with the Red Room and was going to punish her._ The dreams had returned.

xxxxxxxxxx

_He was Loki._

_He looked down, surveying his clothing, his hands, his body. He looked at his reflection. He was the true king of Asgard. _

_He paced his cell, waiting for what Barton told him would come. She did come, but not as he had expected._

_It excited him._

_They played their word games, and the god of lies was impressed with this female mortal. No wonder Barton holds her in such high esteem. Perhaps I could keep her as a pet for later…_

_Then a more suiting plan formed in his mind. A fitting end to the would-be lovers, and a message to their would-be 'team.' He smiled, and pounced._

"_I won't touch Barton, not until I make him kill you..."_

_He was Loki, easily tricking his brother. Again. "Are you ever going to NOT fall for that?" A puny human appears. The one they call Coulson, he believes. He points some large but pathetic Midgardian weapon at him. Internally he sighs. Ridiculous mortals. _

_He's behind the human now, and he thrusts the scepter through the man's back. It slides into his flesh, past his spine, scraping a few ribs, piercing and pushing organs, and protrudes through the man's chest. _

_Thor screams. "NOOO!" _

xxxxx

"NOOOO!" Clint's own screams woke him from the nightmare.

He looked around in a panic, slowly coming to the realization of where he is, and more importantly, _who_ he is. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. _God he needed a drink._

He settled for a glass of water.

He was sitting on his couch when the door to his apartment opened.

There stood Natasha, looking down, clad only in a tank top and… were those an old pair of his boxers?

He stood and walked over to her, unconcealed confusion and concern on his face. "Tasha?"

She slowly sunk into his arms.

Clint let out a breath. "The dreams come back?"

She only nodded that he was correct.

"Yeah, for me too."

She looked up at him then. "Clint…"

"Hush Tasha. Let's go get some sleep."

He held her in his bed that night, neither letting go, as they found the dreamless sleep they craved.

**And there's chapter 10. Special thanks to my trusty betas: brawler25 & Jabberswife, & to my reviewers from Chapter 9: JoMiSm, paintallthestuff, Esha Napoleon, wolfhawke26, shocker, AisforAWKWARD, Shadowpool95, and GirlOfLightning. Thank you for reviewing, it gives me happy feels. **

**Hey, do you like Clint & Natasha as a couple? Then you NEED to go to Marvel . com and lobby for them! Go to the "fans" tab, then "forums." Comment in movie threads (at the bottom) and in the comic threads, in particular "Marvel Universe" and "Avengers." This is important because the movie writers take ideas from the comics, and the comic writers take into consideration what the fans want. Right now there's a lot of people on the comic threads saying "Natasha belongs with Bucky!" I say boo to that. Clint & Natasha belong together! Put your voice in. (I post there now as sv4thisgal)**

**Stories referenced in this chapter: Alpha Flyer story: "The Skies over Manhattan" was the inspiration for Clint and Steve's chat. Not directly quoted but it was the inspiration. It's good.** **Also Bruce read "Poignancy" by D.B.R Hazlewoode. **

**PS: I'm looking for a beta on some other projects who knows the comic cannon, past & current. It'll all be Clintasha still. Anyone interested?**


	11. 11: Sexual tension? What sexual tension?

"Avengers: Fanfiction"

**Deadpool STILL hasn't come through (one can never trust a mouthy merc) so I still don't own the characters. (But seriously, Fraction, DeConnick, Spencer, Joss, etc: I'll let you use my ideas/writing/dialogue/whatever for free if you want) (you guys think they read this stuff?) ;P**

**This chapter is rated T for, well, the title says enough. Sorry it's late, life kind of happened. Spoiler: there's a dream sequence in this chapter. It'll be in **_**italics**_**. **

**Last time: the team chatted about nano-bots, Clint and Steve chatted, Natasha showed the local Russian Mafia from the Hawkeye comics where they could shove their track suits, and bad dreams returned to our two favorite assassins, who found comfort and sleep in each other's arms. (awe…)**

xxxxxxxxxx

Chapter 11: "Sexual tension? What sexual tension?"

The next morning, before any of the Avengers awoke, Hill arrived at the tower and was preparing to meet with the team. She smiled slightly when the door opened to reveal Steve.

"Good morning, Captain. Up early?"

"I usually don't have to sleep much, ma'am." She smiled again, ever the gentlemen. She looked up from her work to survey the first Avenger. He looked like he had just rolled out of bed and thrown on whatever clothing was nearby. And he held two cups of coffee.

When she met his eyes he smiled and extended one of the cups. "Jarvis told me you had arrived. Thought I'd make myself useful."

She closed her eyes as she took in the glorious dark liquid. Of course Stark always had the best quality of everything. "Black. How'd you know, Rogers?"

He chuckled. "I saw the stuff you have available on the hellicarrier. Just took a guess that you'd get used to it after a while."

She made a mental note of his unexpected observation and memory skills. That could be useful if Romanoff and Barton ever needed an extra hand on a covert mission.

Well, a covert mission to some third world country where they didn't have television or internet.

Thinking back to his earlier comment Hill suppressed a smile as she thought of a few other ways that Captain America could make himself useful. Redirecting her thoughts, she spoke. "Steve, do you cook?"

"Yes ma'am. I learned when I was young, to help out my mom." He paused. "Have you eaten yet this morning, Agent Hill?"

"Actually, no. And it's Maria."

xxxxxxxxxx

When the team finally assembled Hill went over the most recent Avengers threat assessments. Hammer was at the top of the list for impending threats; his communications become more suspicious and cryptic. SHIELD had completed analysis of all existing fan fiction and kept a small team in place to monitor new chapters and stories.

At the end of the briefing Hill asked Romanoff to remain, and Barton to wait outside. That was suspicious enough for the entire team (except Thor, who had yet to return) to huddle around Barton outside the door.

Tony shook his head at himself. "It's my fault guys. I insisted this room would be sound-proof. We won't be able to listen it."

Clint shot him a glance. "It's a damn good thing too, Stark. Jarvis, are you recording any of the private conversation in the conference room?"

"I stopped recording the moment it was just Agents Hill and Romanoff in the room sir."

"Hey! I didn't tell you to do that!"

"I am following your instructions to allow the team privacy, sir."

"I'm going to turn you into a toaster one day Jarvis," Tony sulked, "a toaster."

"I await the opportunity, sir."

Bruce raised an eyebrow. "Is it just me or has the A.I. become more cheeky since we all moved in?"

xxxxxxxxxx

Romanoff stood at attention and spoke once the door closed. "You needed to see me, Assistant Director?"

Maria sighed. "Yes, Agent. Sit down."

She did, and Hill placed two envelopes on the table in front of Natasha. They were both sealed. One had her name typed on the front, the other Clint's. She visibly paled.

"Coulson left these to me, with the instructions not to deliver them unless one of you two dies. Is that still your wish, Agent?"

Natasha tried her best to calm her racing heart. She had written a letter to Barton after Budapest and instructed Coulson not to deliver it unless she died. She never knew Clint had written one to her. Questions flooded her mind. Should she update her letter? What would Clint want to tell her that he wouldn't say to her face? When did he write his letter? When did he give it to Phil? Why…

"Agent Romanoff?"

"Yes." She blurted out, then steadied herself. "Yes. I wrote the letter that is addressed to Barton. It is to go to him if I die. I have never seen the other envelope before."

"Very well. There is another letter though, Agent. It's from Coulson. He had prepared several letters to specific individuals in case he died in the line of duty. Here is yours."

Natasha could feel a lump form in her throat. Hill turned away to look out the window. It was her idea of giving Natasha some privacy. Natasha rose to rush out of the room. She needed to get out of the tower before she suffocated…

"Natasha?" She paused in her escape, not turning. Hill continued. "Fraternization rules do not apply once you reach Level 7. Congratulations, you and Barton have just been promoted again."

xxxxx

Natasha rushed out of the room before any of the Avengers could question her.

"Tasha! Wait!" Clint ran after her. _Man she can walk fast when she wants to._

He lowered his voice. "Tasha? What happened?"

"Barton!" Hill called from down the hall.

"You're next Barton."

"But Tasha…"

She stopped and he barely caught himself before running into her back. He found his mouth right up against her ear. She shuttered as his breath tickled her hair.

"Meet me on the roof…" she mumbled, and continued walking.

Clint stood in place, unsure of what to do next. Hill decided for him. "Barton! Get back here!"

xxxxxxxxxx

After his 'little chat' with Agent Hill, Clint walked past the other Avengers in a daze. Everyone, even Bruce, pushed him for information. He went with the safest reply, one he knew they'd find out soon anyway.

"I've been promoted."

They congratulated him, and asked about Natasha. "Yep, her too." Steve, being the sensible one, wanted more information about how or if this would change their relationship with the Avengers when Maria called him in next.

Tony and Bruce followed Steve back to the door to await his return, leaving Clint to make his way to the roof.

xxxxx

When Clint opened the door he was blasted with a warm wind. It was going to be a beautiful day. _Nice enough for a ride_, he thought to himself.

The final words of Hill rang in his ears as she approached Natasha, careful to make plenty of noise with the door so she'd know it was him. _"Congratulations on your promotion. Oh, and Barton? Fraternization rules do not apply once you reach Level 7_." He smiled to himself. There had to be lots of money riding on them now.

He felt his heart rate increase as he neared her. Does this change anything? He remembered the letters they'd written each other. They'd definitely have to talk about that…

He sat down beside her, dangling his legs over the side as she did. He was more comfortable with heights so it didn't surprise him that she had chosen a spot where Stark's personal deck was a few stories below them instead of a sheer drop to ground level. But the view was just as beautiful from here, he decided, as he looked at her.

"Hey Nat."

"Barton."

"So, we're promoted again."

"Maybe you can afford to fix up that dump of an apartment building of yours now."

He feigned hurt. "Hey, don't hate. My building is awesome."

Silence.

"Well, Lucky likes it at least…"

She smiled. His dog, Lucky. Clint had a thing for strays. Just look at _her_. Good thing he had neighbors who knew a thing or two about actually caring for pets…

She lowered her head and sighed. "Those letters…"

He knew she'd have problems with this. "Hey, don't worry about it Tasha. We've been partners forever. It was just something that needed to be done, right?"

"It was just a goodbye, Clint. Nothing more. I don't know how to do..." she stopped herself before she could say 'relationships, "…this kind of stuff."

"Emotional stuff?"

"Yes. A goodbye after death is fairly emotional, I believe."

He waved her off. "You underestimate yourself. I'm the careless one. If anyone's going to be reading a letter it'll be you."

She glared at him. "I will _kill_ you if you make me read a 'goodbye I'm dead' letter."

"But Nat, I'd be dead."

"I'd go to Loki and have you resurrected just so I could kill you again."

"You _are_ vicious."

She turned away from his sarcasm. "You have no idea."

He laughed. "Oh, I think I do. How else do you think I've managed to survive being your partner for so long?"

She smiled for him, and he beamed. Phase one – success. One more hurdle to jump before phase two. His face fell.

"You get a letter from Phil too?"

She lowered her head. "Yeah."

He pulled out his letter. "How about we read them together, at the same time. Kind of like ripping off a band-aid."

She considered it for a moment. "I'm not ready Clint. Maybe later?" She gave him a weak smile.

"Okay, Tasha, but, promise me something?"

"That depends, Barton."

"Obviously you can make your own decision on when to read your letter. But… would you be with me when I read mine?"

A soft smile spread across her face. He could be so needy at times, but he needed HER. And to be honest, it felt GOOD. "Sure, Clint."

He grinned. "Hey, I've got an idea on how to cheer you, I mean us, up a bit."

He hopped up and started moving towards the door. "Meet me in Tony's garage in 15. I've got a surprise for you!" He ran down the stairs before she could say no.

xxxxxxxxxx

The Avengers, minus Black Widow and Hawkeye (and Thor), were chatting in the strategy room. Hill had left and the two assassins had disappeared.

Tony raised an eyebrow at a huge book Steve was flipping through. "So, promoted?"

Steve sighed. "Yes, but apparently I need to learn all these S.H.I.E.L.D. regulations about my new clearance level before I can start any assignments."

Then Steve smiled. "But Maria coordinated with the Army on my ranking and assignment. I'm actually a Captain now."

Tony smiled and patted him on the back. "Way to go, buddy."

Bruce shook his hand, then whispered to Steve, "Maria?"

Captain America blushed and led Bruce off to the side. As they were whispering Tony took the opportunity to start flipping through the enormous regulation book. "How in the world do they expect you to remember all this nonsense?"

Steve turned. "Tony! You can't read that! It's classified stuff!"

"Come on, Steve. We're the AVENGERS. We should ALL be in the loop." He kept the table between himself and Steve.

"No, YOU'RE Tony Stark, trouble-maker!" Steve started to walk around the table to get it back, and a very juvenile game of chase began. Bruce stepped back, wanting to keep out of any drama. "Bruce, help me out here!"

"Oh no, I'm staying out of this one." But Tony threw him the book as Steve was about to catch him and yelled, "I knew it! I knew it!"

Bruce simply set the book down on the table where Steve retrieved it. Steve looked at Tony, uncertainty on his face. "You knew what? What did you read, Stark?"

A huge grin covered Tony's face. Regulation 007.2.14."

Steve flipped through the pages, then visibly paled. Bruce spoke first. "What is it Steve?"

"Um, I probably shouldn't be telling you this," he paused, and Bruce interjected, "But?..."

"But it says here that once an Agent reaches level 7 there is no longer a prohibition against dating other agents."

Bruce's jaw dropped. Tony laughed. "What level are you now, Steve?" Bruce asked.

"Seven."

"Forget that," Tony interrupted, "what levels are Barton and Romanoff?!"

Steve replied again, "Seven."

"I KNEW it! This is PERFECT!"

Bruce removed his glasses and started rubbing his eyes. Steve looked up, perplexed. "I don't understand Tony."

"They literally have no legitimate excuses left as to why they're not together!"

"Here we go," sighed Bruce.

Tony started pacing. "We need to do something. This is unacceptable. We can't allow them to dance around this any longer."

Steve cocked his head to the side and glared at Iron Man. "Tony…"

Stark just waived him off. "Jarvis, bring up fanfiction."

xxxxx

After about 20 minutes Steve and Bruce had left him to his schemes alone. Two hours later Tony Stark stumbled on a story entitled "Stress Relief Part 2." Tony read about Clint visiting Natasha at Stark Industries while she was posing as 'Natalie.' Then he read about what they got up to in a private office.

"Jarvis! Bring up all the video we have of Natalie Rushman!"

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At first Natasha didn't notice the magnificent machine Clint was standing next to. Later she would chide herself for not immediately seeing the artwork that was the Ducati 998. Possibly the finest motorcycle ever made, and certainly the best looking, and this particular one had the Ben Bostrom paintjob. She would forever shame her eyes for not being automatically drawn to its perfection. However, as she entered Tony's garage in the basement of the tower, she did found herself staring at sculpted artwork.

Clint stood next to the mint Ducati, pulling on a t-shirt. It fit snug against his chest and arms, and he smiled when he heard Natasha enter. He wasn't stupid, like many assumed. He knew the effect his body had on women. He had even occasionally observed it with Natasha. What had she said at the bar the other night? I've got it, so why don't I flaunt it every now and then?

Clint picked up his leather riding jacket and put it on. It was mainly purple and grey, and was very fitting. The crash armor sown into the jacket made his shoulders look impossibly wider and stronger. Before her was a man if ever she'd seen one. Natasha swallowed and did her best to clear her face of any suggestive emotion and announced herself. "So, Barton, what's this all about?"

Clint raised an eyebrow, and stepped to the side, motioning to the motorcycle.

"Oh."

"_Oh?_" Clint put his hand over his heart in feigned hurt. "That's the best you've got for your favorite motorcycle?"

She simply smiled, and ran her hand down the body of the bike.

It was _perfect_.

Not a scratch, not a dent. She couldn't wait to get her legs around the smooth tank, sculpted, it seemed, to fit her small frame perfectly. She looked it over, and tilted her head to the side.

"It has a rear seat pad."

"Well, yeah…" Clint started.

She interrupted him. "I don't plan on riding anyone with me."

Clint laughed. "That's because _I'll _be riding _you_." Natasha raised an eyebrow.

_Barton, you dummy._ "Uh, I mean… tomorrow it's yours, Tasha. Until then," he patted the tank, "this beauty's mine." He swung a leg over and smirked. "Get on back, baby."

" Excuse me?" The Black Widow was not amused.

"Come on Nat, it'll be fun! Let's just go do something for the fun of it for once."

"I don't see why that can't be accomplished with two motorcycles, Clint." She crossed her arms.

"Well, there's only one, so let's go!" He tossed her a black women's riding jacket he'd been saving for her.

Natasha caught it, and smiled at the small red black widow insignia on the front. _A custom jacket too. What is Barton up to anyway? _"Why do _I_ have to ride bitch?"

"Cause you're my bottom bitch, baby!" _Smack._ "Ouch!" Clint rubbed the back of his head.

"You are not my pimp, Clint Barton!"

"I was that one mission…"

_SMACK._

"Oooouch! Okay, okay!" he held up his arms in surrender. "Come on Tasha, it'll be fun, and we can pass as normal with me driving. PLEEEEASE?" She furrowed her brows and frowned. _At least she hasn't outright refused…_ "Besides, it's so nice out today!"

Clint then unleashed the amazing power of his puppy dog eyes. _He's been taking lessons from Lucky_.

Natasha sighed in defeat. "Fine. Okay. But tomorrow it's all mine?"

"All yours, Natasha. My gift to you, for, well, you know what for." She grinned. "Not that I _wanted_ you to break a different bone in every Russian mobster in New York, and not that I _needed_ your help, but honestly, it was such a good laugh I had to do something." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Besides, that money I, found, isn't going to spend itself."

She smiled. "You've got a deal."

xxxxxxxxxx

After weaving through traffic in a hurry to get out of the city and into the countryside, Clint took a brief moment at a red light to thank the gods for removable back protectors. Natasha had dutifully clung to him throughout his antics, and he had been thoroughly enjoying her calm acceptance of his riding style. She hadn't squirmed, she hadn't complained, she hadn't shifted her weight due to any of his sudden movements. She had simply held on tightly and moved with him. And since he had removed the back protector from his jacket, he had the most unobstructed sensory input as possible of Natasha's breasts pressed firmly against his back as she held on.

Natasha relaxed a bit as they sat at the light. Trying to relax while Clint was flying them through traffic was exhausting. She leaned lowed her head (they were both wearing helmets) onto his shoulder a bit and relaxed into him. His arms certainly were strong enough to hold them both up while they waited for the light to change. She breathed in his scent mixed with leather and high-octane gas. This was most certainly heaven.

Eventually they made it out of the city and were enjoying whatever twisty back roads they could find. A little after noon they stopped at a café in a small town and grabbed a lunch to go. They stopped to eat at a small park near the center of the town.

They relaxed under a large oak tree, using their jackets as makeshift pillows as they leaned against the tree. Their sandwiches were tasty enough, and it was a good break after several hours of hard riding.

Natasha caught herself just, _staring_, at spot on Clint's closest arm where his t-shirt stopped and his arm began. A tight t-shirt was _very_ becoming on the archer. She diverted her gaze just in time for Clint to look up at her – after he'd been staring at her chest. A tight, low cut t-shirt was _very_ becoming on the spy, after all.

"I, uh, think I'll take a quick walk to stretch my legs," Clint interjected as he stood. Natasha nodded as he started to walk off, and she noticed him taking a familiar-looking envelope from his pocket. She re-adjusted her position so that she was laying on the cool grass with his coat as a pillow.

She looked up into the tree. It was truly a beautiful, and serene, moment. The sun filtered through the branches and leaves. Birds chirped, and a light breeze tickled her hair. In her peripheral vision she could see light clouds strolling by in a deep blue sky. She could hear Clint walking in the grass nearby, likely heading towards the stream adjacent to the park. She remembered a story he'd told her once about his childhood and stream "crawdads," or something.

She smiled. She'd needed today, she realized. A little break from the craziness that often is Stark Tower and the Avengers. A day as a normal person, doing normal things. She decided to let Phil's letter wait a little longer and she allowed herself to think of a few other normal things she'd like to do soon, or one day, as she drifted off to sleep.

Clint scanned Phil's letter one more time as he say Natasha's breathing even out and her body relax.

"_Dear Clint, _

_No matter what Romanoff says, you were always my favorite Agent._

_PS, you two need to hook up already. The sexual tension has been making me sick for years._

_Phil."_

xxxxxxxxxx

_She tried opening her eyes, and realized one was swollen shut. Okay, so she was likely in trouble. She tried to relax and use her other senses to get her bearings. She's sitting up, in a chair likely. Feels like she's tied to it. No serious injuries, no broken bones, no drugs in her system. Amateurs._

_She sat still for several minutes, controlling her breathing, and listening. No sounds. She chanced opening her good eye, and sees she locked in some kind of containment room. Sterile, clean walls, small (and likely bulletproof) window in the steel door. She tests her bonds, and they only tighten. That's a new one. She feels them, testing them between her finger and thumb. It's no fabric she's ever felt before, and it's giving off some kind of energy. Okay, so she's a prisoner of some kind, and her bonds may be other-worldly. How did she get here? What's going on?_

_A slight chuckle erupts behind her, and she can hear the figure walk around her. "I know you are awake, Natasha Romanoff," that voice… "care for one last defiant look at the man who beat you before you die?"_

_She looked up, scowling. "Loki." _

"_Enjoy the afterlife, mortal." He said as he turned to leave. He stopped in the doorway. "Actually, it might not be too bad for you. Hela and I aren't on the best of terms at the moment…"_

_With that the god left, leaving Natasha confused and still confined. _

_She worked harder on the bonds, but they pulsed with Loki's magic, and had only tightened further, chaffing her wrists. She heard heavy footsteps approach. The door opened, and Clint Barton walked in._

_She caught his eye immediately. They were dead, and glimmering with magic. Her heart sank. _

_He returned her gaze and his eyes brightened and the magic within them stirred. She dared to speak. "Clint…"_

_He pulled out a gun and aimed it at her head._

_She held her breath._

_His hand started to shake. "It's okay, Clint…"_

_His lips twist into a snarl as he apparently fights Loki's control. She sees his struggle and encourages him. _

"_Fight it Clint, fight!"_

_He gasps and shakes. He points the gun up towards the ceiling, away from her. _

"_You did it Clint! Now put the gun away!"_

_Slowly, he lowers it, pointing at her head again. _

"_Keep pushing Clint, you can do it…"_

_He lowers the gun to his side. She exhales in relief. _

_Suddenly he points it back at her, aiming now at her heart. A sneer eerily similar to Loki's covers his face._

_Natasha sucks in a quick breath, surprised. "Clint…"_

_He cries out as he yanks the gun away from her again. Still shaking, he brings the gun back up, pointing to the ceiling now. _

_He reaches out to her with his eyes, and she sees the sadness, the love, and the apology there. He points the gun to his head._

_Natasha screams. _

xxxxxxxxxx

"NOOOOOOO!"

"Tasha! What's wrong?! Wake up!"

Clint took Natasha by her shoulders as she screamed and flailed in her sleep. "Nat! WAKE UP!"

She bolted up into an upright position, gasping for breath and looking around wildly. Her eyes finally settled on Clint and she threw herself into his arms.

He jumped slightly at first at the sudden physical contact but quickly relaxed into her and gently rubbed her back. "It's ok Tasha, it's over, I'm here now, you're safe."

She got her breathing under control and stayed in his arms a little while, taking in the relief. Clint was safe.

xxxxxxxxxx

They spent the rest of the day riding in silence (as it's very difficult to have a conversation on a moving motorcycle with both people wearing helmets and no comms) and returned to the Tower after dark. They were exhausted. They'd spent most of the day in the warm sun on a motorcycle with a very aggressive riding position, after all. As they entered the elevator Clint put his arm around Natasha, encouraging her to rest her head on his shoulder.

To his surprise, she accepted his offer, and closed her eyes.

The elevator ride was quiet, but Clint's heart was pounding in his ears. _Did she notice it? Did she feel something too? Would she say anything if she did? Did he need to…_

The elevator doors opened to the rest of the Avengers, minus Thor, standing around near the couches. Steve was talking, and Clint caught the end of his sentence. "… well, I don't know about that, but Maria said…" Steve paused and looked towards the elevator. Clint raised an eyebrow. Steve was on a first name basis with Hill?

Steve raised an eyebrow. Natasha was being awfully cozy with Clint. Tony and Bruce looked over, just in time to see Clint shaking were to alertness. She almost jumped away from Clint, and started walking towards her apartment, ignoring everyone.

Clint let out a sigh and chased her down, stopping her at her door. He whispered into her ear, and she involuntarily shivered.

"Your place or mine tonight?"

She thought for a moment, fully aware of the silent eyes on both of them. She didn't want Clint to have the wrong idea, but if she wanted to get some sleep, she needed him with her. "Mine. Be here in 20, I'm going to shower." She had almost shut the door when she paused. She didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea either. "Oh and Clint? Come through the vents."

Clint nodded and walked back to the communal fridge to grab a beer, ignoring all the eyes. Finally Tony spoke up.

"Okay, that's enough sexual tension for one day," Stark sighed as he rolled his eyes at Steve. Steve furrowed his brow in confusion. "Come on, Bruce, let's leave these two Romeos alone and do some science."

The two men left, heading towards the main lab, and Clint tossed Steve a beer as he made his way to his apartment. Steve was still confused as Clint shut his door, leaving the Captain alone with his thoughts in the commons area. "Sexual tension? What sexual tension?"

xxxxxxxxxx

**My sincerest apologies for the wait, and my most gracious thanks for the well wishes and words of encouragement! As always, thanks to my betas What's that on the wall & Jabberswife, & thanks to the reviewers from chapter 10: Alpha Flyer, Guest, Prescious93, JoMiSm, ShadowBeats22107, RolleRolleRolle, MoonyTheAlchemist, wolfhawke26, any-otp-will-do, biggsxr, Qwerty31, paintallthestuff, LNCrow, werf, Guest, Pati G W Black, kyaticlikestea, Guest, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, rainystv, and Gaby de Brabant. **

**Stories in this chapter: I know I've read several stories where Clint & Natasha give letters to Coulson, but can't remember whose I read first, or which one I liked the best. So, shout outs to everyone who's written such a story, I guess! (because I got that idea from reading those stories. The letter FROM Coulson was actually my husband's idea) Do you guys have a fav "letter to Coulson" story I could reference? Also referenced was "Stress Relief Part 2" by ShadowBeats22107, which is very sexy. **

**Thought I'd include a little teasing for you Steve/Maria fans out there. But just so you don't get too excited fair warning: I'm not going to explore that particular relationship. Maybe a little more light teasing in an upcoming chapter, but that's it. **


	12. chpt 12: Points

"Avengers: Fanfiction"

**I don't own the characters, … Don't sue… All hail Marvel & Disney... (But seriously, DeConnick, Fraction, Spencer, Joss, Marvel, etc: I'll let you use my stuff/ideas/dialogue/whatever if you want, for FREE!)**

**This chapter is rated M – sexy time. PS: I highly recommend watching the music video for "Trouble" by Pink (which I don't own) before reading the part below when they're at a club and Clint sneaks up behind Natasha. You will understand. ;)**

**Last time: Clint, Natasha and Steve got promoted, again, and had private chats with Hill. Clint and Natasha went for a motorcycle ride. Clint was going to stay in Natasha's room that night, due to continuing problems with bad dreams. **

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Chapter 12: Points

Natasha was already gone from her own room when Clint awoke the next morning. After finishing in the bathroom he laid back down in her bed.

It was getting harder and harder to sleep with Natasha. She kept the nightmares at bay, for sure, but her presence was causing a different kind of sleep deprivation.

Especially last night when, instead of using her own pajama top, she slipped into his t-shirt after he'd discarded it.

He sighed, then took in her scent that lingered on the sheets.

_Looked like he was going to be having many restless nights in the foreseeable future._

He couldn't have been happier.

After somehow convincing himself that he should wait to take care of all that sexual frustration until he was in his own shower in his own apartment, he got up from her bed and started dressing. He glanced over at his t-shirt, still on the same chair where Natasha had left it. He knew it smelled of him, and he scolded himself for thinking Natasha would consider taking in his scent in the privacy of her own apartment. But he left it anyway.

xxxxxxxxxx

The day was spent training. Hill had called and talked to Steve, and he'd relayed her message that a mission could be around the corner due to the 'fan fiction situation.' Both Clint and Natasha wanted to be in top form before they were to confront this new threat.

Natasha took a break from her routine and went to the roof with a water bottle and a small bag. It was another nice day, and she unmoving for quite some time as she soaked in the sun as she looked out over the city. She then dug through her bag and pulled out a small piece of paper.

Natasha smiled as she looked over Phil's letter again:

"_Dear Natasha, _

_No matter what Barton says, you were always my favorite Agent._

_PS, you two need to hook up already. The sexual tension has been making me sick for years._

_Phil."_

She wondered if he'd put money on them too. It seemed like every single person on the Helicarrier had at one time or another. Money was constantly being exchanged behind their backs after their interactions on base. She imagined that after years of being unable to prove anything the Agents changed their betting scheme to things like comments made, time spent apart or together, and number of times they came into physical contact. Then there were the sparring bets, which had risen to an entirely new level.

Regardless, Phil was the one person who knew them best. He knew them as individuals and as a team, and very often he knew them and what they needed better than they knew themselves.

A deep flicker of anger arose as she remembered his final moments, and she headed back to the gym to give a punching bag the beating that she hoped she'd be able to give to Loki one day.

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Tony was working on a new feature for his suit when he had a thought. The team should do something together.

But what to do? And where to go where the Captain and Bruce might be able to find a little female companionship? Hmm. It also needed to be a place where Clint and Natasha could possibly flirt…

Still unsure he went to his new fall-back - fanfiction.

He pulled up a story he had started the day before that had looked promising at the time. It was called "Stumbling Home," and was by "Michelle." He read about Clint and Natasha going dancing, and all the crazy incredible sex that followed.

He thought to himself. _So, they needed to go dancing tonight, but since there won't be bad guys waiting to inject them with some strange Asgardian fertility drug, probably, we should go to a place that is so sexy you can practically smell it._ He brought up his little black book of places to go to meet women, and went to a file indicating where to go when one needed to keep a low profile. For once he was thankful that his A.I. was a little anal-retentive. He smiled when he looked over the name of a club he hadn't attended in quite some time. "Bingo."

xxxxx

After a long day of exercise, target practice, and studying languages and cultures of possible deployment locations, Natasha returned to her apartment to find the entire place had been cleaned. In addition she found a bag with some kind of black clothing inside and a note. It was in Pepper's handwriting.

"Natasha,

Tony won't leave me alone until I write this.

Please do an activity with the team tonight. Tony is determined to go, and honestly I need someone to make sure he doesn't get into trouble since I have business tonight. It could possibly be fun, even. If anyone can keep these guys in line it's you. Please, do it for me? I'll owe you one.

Thanks,

Pepper.

Natasha opened the garment bag and almost burst out laughing when she finally figured out what it was. This certainly was going to be an interesting night.

xxxxx

Clint wandered into the commons area where the rest of the Avengers were waiting. He stopped in his tracks when it registered in his brain how the others were dressed.

They were in honest-to-God Halloween costumes. AVENGERS costumes, at that.

He just couldn't contain himself. "The FUCK?!"

Tony stared right back at him. "Dammit, Clint!"

Natasha rolled her eyes. "It's a costume event tonight, Clint. Didn't you see the note and the costume sitting on your bed?"

He had to snap himself out of his reverie to respond. _DAMN_ Natasha looked incredible_._ Even in some cheep spandex and lycra impersonation of her black widow outfit she was incredible. Perhaps even _more_ so, because she'd _definitely _have to wear a thong in this get-up to avoid panty lines…

"Uh, no. I haven't been to my apartment in the tower today since this morning."

Bruce looked concerned. "You didn't shower after all that working out today?"

Steve raised an eyebrow. Tony threw up his hands. Natasha just smiled.

"I went back to my building."

Tony looked offended. "You and that dump of yours. Why don't you just stay here? Is my stuff not good enough for you, Barton?"

Clint ignored Stark and took in the sight of his teammates, grinning. "You know, it's not Halloween, and those, outfits, aren't the most flattering for meeting attractive young women at a club, especially when we have real uniforms…"

"What, and YOU are, Mr. jeans and a boring purple shirt Barton?" Tony might actually be getting offended now…

"Whatever Stark, I can pick up more girls than ANY of you just as I am."

Natasha crossed her arms and raised an eye brow. "Oh really?"

Clint's jaw dropped. _What have I just done?!_ "No no no, wait a minute Nat, I'm not stupid, of course I'm not referring to you…"

She started towards the elevator, ignoring his last statement. "Challenge accepted, Barton."

Clint's entire _body_ sighed in defeat.

"Now you've done it, Stark. We are all so screwed."

"ME?!"

xxxxxxxxxx

The team carpooled in a very swanky customized Stark SUV. Natasha drove, of course. No one, even Tony, dared challenge her when she had taken the keys.

The entire ride the men (boys) continued their bickering. Tony did his best to explain why he would get to flirt with random women while Pepper was hard and work, Bruce wasn't convinced it was safe for him to attend at all, and Steve wasn't convinced he'd be able to dance to the 'new' type of music 'kids' played these days. Clint stole glances at Natasha every now and then, and she maintained the same smug grin on her face she'd had on back at the tower. They really were screwed.

Tony called ahead and the team entered through the back to avoid any lurking paparazzi. "Privacy Guards" were assigned to the Avengers, to insure no photos or video was taken of them and they weren't mobbed by fan-girls. At least to an extent they didn't want.

They were led to an exclusive table with a view of the entire club. Tony was surprisingly low-key, giving Banner and Rogers a chance to settle in to the environment. Hawkeye and Black Widow sat on the opposite ends of the semi-circular table. All eyes were on them as the others waited for them to begin Natasha's challenge.

"Come on, Nat, we don't have to do this…"

She continued staring into his eyes, mischief on her face.

"You remember the rules, don't you Barton? Phone numbers, invites to go back to their place, or somewhere more private, or even the bathroom…"

Tony snorted.

She continued. "They all count, as long as it's not you asking. You have until 2 a.m. to accrue as many points as possible. Yes, it is an honor system, but don't try to lie to a S.H.I.E.L.D. spy. Besides myself and cupid here…" Clint put his head in his hands, "the only other person required to play is Stark."

Apparently Iron Man did not agree.

"Hey! What about Captain Handsome here?!" Steve gave him a look.

Natasha ignored him, and stood. "Oh, and one more thing, gentlemen…"

Clint groaned. Natasha leaned over the table and gave them all a smile that had led many a target to their doom.

"No one is restricted to the opposite sex."

Every jaw at the table dropped, except Clint, who dropped his head to the table.

Natasha looked back as she sauntered off towards the dance floor. "May the best woman win."

There was silence at the table for a moment.

"…she…" Bruce finally spoke up. "…she was kidding… right? Clint?"

Clint stood and sighed. "Well, we can only hope she doesn't broadcast the final tally all over the Helicarrier this time…"

Tony spat out his drink.

xxxxxxxxxx

Tony and Clint watched Natasha went right to work, dancing with the sexiest man she could find on the dance floor. When the song ended she moved to the bar, and the man stopped her and handed her a business card.

"Best get moving Stark. You're already behind."

Tony promptly shut his mouth and walked to the other side of the bar where several cute co-eds were gathered.

Clint stood in place, not sure what approach to take tonight. It was obvious Natasha was feeling mischievous, but he wasn't sure why or to what end.

That left him in a quandary. He could go out there and try to tease her or make her jealous, but he'd tried that before and it only earned him a laugh or an ass-kicking in the gym. He tried to think of all their previous missions together, trying to remember something, _anything_, that could give him a hint of how to proceed.

He caught Natasha's eyes and he could already see the look of triumph there. She _already _had him whipped. _If only she knew…_

A cute young woman with a short black hair cut off his view of his partner. She smiled at him. "You here with anyone, handsome?"

He smiled back, and she appeared to melt right in front of him. "Sorry sweetheart, I am."

She pouted. "Well, come find me if you change your mind." She returned to a group of attractive women sitting at one of the small tables.

He thought for a moment, then smiled. His new goal was to earn one, and only one, point for the 'game' tonight. He turned and raised his glass to Steve, who was watching in the distance. "Here goes nothin'," and he downed the rest of the alcohol.

xxxxx

Natasha had been expecting a playful Clint to get out on the dance floor and try to steal her show. Instead he had blown off the first attractive girl who'd approached him and moved off to the side, just watching.

She moved around the dance floor, identifying additional targets to approach later, and kept her eyes out for Clint. He was off in the shadows, watching.

No, not watching. He was _lurking_. He was _stalking_.

Interesting.

xxxxx

Bruce swished the alcohol in his glass. He looked over at Steve. "Well, at least we have plenty of entertainment for the evening."

Steve smiled as he watched Tony get slapped in the face. "You know, tonight might not be half bad after all."

Bruce chuckled, then looked to where he'd last seen Clint. "I don't see the Hawk. Any idea on what his play is?"

Steve found his elusive teammate off in the distance. He thought for a moment, remembering Clint's gesture. "Maybe… I don't know. Maybe he's trying to beat the spy at her own game?"

Bruce thought for a moment. Out of nowhere a female voice interrupted their reverie.

"Spying on the spies, boys?"

It was Hill.

"Maria…" Steve was almost stammering. "I… didn't expect to see you here…"

"Just keeping an eye on some assets. When Natasha didn't initially respond Pepper called me in." She looked around, her eyes pausing briefly on Barton and Romanoff, then she smiled. "Not dancing, Captain?

He shrugged. "I'm not really sure if this is what I'd call dancing."

Maria laughed. "Times do change, Steve, even since when I was young enough to come to places like these." Bruce suppressed a smile. "But, we all adapt. Perhaps you need a teacher?"

Steve looked down, paling slightly. "I… think I need to use the restroom."

He stood to leave and she nodded. "Goodbye gentlemen. Looks like you have everything under control. Just make sure _they _behave."

She walked towards the door and Steve went to the restroom. Bruce sat, watching Clint with a wary eye, and wondered just who Agent Hill thought they should be worried about tonight.

Xxxxx

A few hours passed and Natasha wondered if she could fit any more cards or napkins with phone numbers scribbled on them in her bra.

She had lost sight of Clint a few moments ago while dancing between two voluptuous women, trying tease him. NOW what was he up to? She knew he was near – she could _feel_ his eyes on her still, so she put on a bit of a show with her new 'friends.'

The music shifts, and the women excuse themselves to use the restroom. The brown-haired girl looks Natasha up and down. "Care to join us, sexy?" Natasha smiles. "Maybe next time." The blond shrugs her shoulders. "You're loss, sweetheart," and the two run off hand-in-hand. _That's two more._

Natasha grins. She still hasn't lost her touch.

But then she feels _his._

She feels his presence first. Somehow he's appeared behind her, and just inches away. She feels his hot breath on her neck, and she sucks in a breath. She raises her hands in the air to dance to the song, and he takes her hands in his. Slowly, agonizingly, he begins to run his hands down her arms. She continues her dance as if it's just another partner.

He still doesn't saw a word, and a few finger tips ghost across the sides of her breasts as his hands move further down her body. Her breath catches, and she swears she hears him moan just a bit, but she can't be sure over the thumping base.

His hands settle on her hips, and his soft touch turns rough as he squeezes and yanks her into him. Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow, finds herself surprised.

She did her best not to let it show and continued dancing, and started to grind her ass against his crotch. He hissed out at the sensation, "Fuck…" as she can feel just where the blood was in the process of rushing to in his body. Then she turned and faced him for the first time since this little interlude began. She put one hand on his shoulder and continued writhing to the music, and brought the other hand to the zipper at her breasts. Licking her lips and staring straight into his eyes, she started to slowly pull the zipper down.

Returning her heated gaze, Clint ran one callused hand down her face, then roughly grasped her by the jaw. Her eyes dilated in surprise and unchecked desire as he proceeded to almost run his lips over her cheek; his breath heavy on the side of her face. Then suddenly he pushed her away from him with the same hand. Being the Black Widow, she gracefully caught herself and responded by writhing to the music on her own, teasing him. He watched her move with the same intense glare that promised many dark pleasures. She'd long lost control of her heart rate, and she attempted to ignore the desire as warmth spread through her body.

He moved towards her, stalking her, and she almost took a fighting stance in response to his predatory approach. He reached her and spun her around again, continuing their dance. He began to roughly remove the weapons he could find off her body, secreting them away in his pants and a few concealed holsters under his shirt. Why she allowed him to do so, even with the throwing knife hidden in her bra, she couldn't articulate. How he managed to do this without anyone noticing was beyond her. All her mind could process at the moment was his rough hands on her body.

Clint wasn't playing anymore, that she knew. He was allowing her to see a wild, possessive part of him she never even dreamed of. As they continued grinding, his hands having moved to her hips, she envisioned what it would like to _have_ Clint Barton. Or, perhaps more accurately, what it would be like to be had _by___him.

She turned again, and they were face to face. She stopped moving, and so did he. They stared into each other's eyes, panting, each waiting for the other to make the next move.

The music shifted and so did his face. Replaced was the intense, lusty glare that had been exciting her with aloof boredom. The whiplash almost made her blink. She had underestimated him. Perhaps he was a better spy than he'd ever let on…

"Are we done here, Nat? I'm a little tired." His tone wasn't harsh, but expressed the fatigue he complained of.

"You've hardly done anything all night!" She turned her head ever so slightly, scrutinizing him, and trying to divert her attention from the throbbing she could feel in her core. "Trying to make some kind of point, Barton?"

He shrugged. "Not really. But you've got to be ahead by at least 10 on Stark, and it's 1:50 a.m."

She looked off to the side a bit, not focusing her eyes on anything in particular. _What the hell had just happened?_ "I suppose that's enough for now." She turned to walk towards the bar. "Okay Barton, let's go." She paused halfway there, thinking of something she wanted to address before finding the others.

"Hey, your place or mine tonight?"

A dark smile crept across his face. Her heart rate involuntarily increased. That _look_ was back. Suddenly Natasha felt nervous. He replied.

"Mine."

Then without warning he took her in a rough kiss, flicking a bit of his tongue in her mouth before tearing himself away and striding towards the bar. She stood in place, shocked, and completely unable to move. Clint looked back and her and winked. Her gaze shifted to the bar where three Avengers were staring at the pair of assassins with their mouths agape.

Clint raised two fists into the air in victory and shouted towards the other men.

"I got one!"

Realization dawned in Natasha's eyes, replacing the shock with horror, then fury.

"That does not count, Clinton Francis Barton!"

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"Oh, that SOOO counted."

Of course Tony would take that position. This was going to be the longest drive in her considerable history.

But at least Steve and Bruce were on her side.

"I don't see how you figure that, Tony," Steve interjected. "Remember the rules…"

Bruce continued, reciting Natasha's words from memory. "Phone numbers, invites to go back to their place, or somewhere more private, or even the bathroom. I don't believe any of that was said or exchanged."

"Oh COME ON, they already have each other's numbers and they live right next door. They're super spies. For all we know they've been sneaking through the vents to sleep with each other each night!"

Clint promptly spit out the water he was drinking.

Natasha put her head in her hands.

The other three men stared at the assassins, stunned.

Stark opened his mouth first. "Oh my god. You HAVE been! They're SLEEPING together!"

Steve was turning red, but he still defended his teammates. "Tony, it's not really any of our business…"

Tony wouldn't stop. He was almost like a gleeful little kid who had just been given the run of a candy store. "FINALLY! You know you two really do belong together. A perfect fit. Thank god." He looked off in thought, "Pepper's going to be so excited," then he added, "And YOU owe me fifty bucks Happy!"

The _other guy_ could feel the rise in tension from Natasha, so Bruce spoke up. "Uh, Tony, maybe you could tone it down a bit…"

"So, really, what did she say, Barton? Did she invite you over for a special after-party? Are you getting the whip tonight?" Clint's eyes could not get any wider and Steve's face could not get any redder.

Bruce rolled down a window for a little air. Clint was suddenly very glad he'd removed most, if not all, of the weapons off of Natasha.

She finally looked up at Stark, and he was surprised to see embarrassment in her eyes. It gave him pause. Were her eyes a little misty, even?

Clint's shoulders dropped. "I'm sorry Tasha, I wasn't thinking, I didn't mean to…"

"Enough." She cut him off. The men all jumped back a little in their seats. She exhaled a breath and calmed herself.

"You got me Stark. I asked Clint if he wanted to stay at his place or mine tonight."

Tony didn't dare open his mouth.

Steve attempted to console her while shooting a glare at Tony. "Natasha, it's ok, _no one's_ judging you here…"

She tried to start again. "It's just that… I haven't been able to…"

Clint jumped in. "The nightmares came back. For BOTH of us."

The other men knew all too much what that was like, and they lowered their heads. Bruce spoke first. "I'm sorry Natasha. If there's anything you need, maybe a sleep aid…"

"No, thanks Bruce, but that stuff doesn't really work on me. Clint and I, we've worked this out, we…"

Tony jumped in. "You take care of each other. It's what teammates, and partners, do. Right?"

Grateful for the out, Natasha gave him a weak smile. "Yeah. I, guess you're right, Tony."

He gave her an apologetic smile, and the rest of the short ride was completed in silence.

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Clint and Natasha didn't have to bother with cloak and dagger when they got to the shared floor. They went straight to Clint's apartment, and no one gave them any trouble for it.

"You know, it is actually nice not to have to sneak around anymore."

Clint blew out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. _Thank god_ she wasn't mad at him. "You know, once he knew the truth, even Tony was surprisingly understanding…"

Natasha gave Clint a sad smile. "I think every one of us has had to deal with demons that haunt our dreams, Clint."

She dug through his chest of drawers and pulled out a t-shirt. He quickly turned when she started stripping without warning. _Well Hell. It was going to be another long night for him…_

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A few hours later Natasha was having an _excellent_ dream.

She and Clint were back at the club, dancing, when it became suddenly deserted. Clint pushed her up against the bar, pulled down her costume and was taking her from behind…

She could _feel_ his every movement in her sleep. How he filled her as he started moving within her. One of his hands worrying her breasts while the other pulled her head back by her hair…

But something wasn't right. He was fucking her, _oh god _was he fucking her, but she could feel a poking sensation against her back. Well that didn't make any sense. His hands and his dick were currently busy. What could that be?

She tried to ignore it but it wouldn't go away.

Then she heard him moan.

But the moan originated further away from where he was currently, his teeth biting her neck. She heard that moan again. It was defiantly him, it just wasn't coming _from_ him… what the fuck?

Slowly her consciousness returned and she found herself lying on Clint's bed. Her elevated heart beat and undeniable wetness where the only proof of the dream she had reluctantly left behind. She sighed, sad to lose that particular one.

Then she heard him moan again.

It was the moan of a man engrossed in the deepest pleasure. She held her breath. Was he dreaming of her too?

He moaned again, and she waited. Clint talked in his sleep from time to time. _What if he called out her name?_ She started to panic. Just what would she do with _that?_

She felt him push his hard cock against her back. _Oh, that's what that was._

She suddenly found herself facing a decision. This wasn't going to end anytime soon for him if she left him alone. However, if she did nothing she might not get back to sleep at all that night. If she woke him up and asked him to roll over he'd be incredibly embarrassed, and maybe even suggest sleeping separately again for a while. That wouldn't do. ANYTHING was better than the nightmares.

A little voice in her brain spoke up. It was from the part of her she had learned so easily to ignore that it hardly spoke at all anymore. She could wake him up, but in a very _pleasant _way. She could give him what he needed and help him get off. She could even…

She stopped those thoughts before they could go any further. Barton was just a man. Of course he'd get turned on by her. It was natural. But their partnership was so much more important than momentary pleasure, especially considering all the _crap _that would follow.

The little voice spoke up again. She imagined how _good_ it would feel to finally touch him like she'd fantasized about so many nights. To run her hands over his arms and chest. To lick her way down his abdomen. To take his cock into her mouth…

He moaned again, and softly called out her name, and she snapped out of her fantasy. She carefully got out of his bed, taking a pillow with her, and made her way to his couch. She grabbed an extra blanket and hoped this would be close enough to keep the nightmares at bay.

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**Special thanks to my betas: What's that on the wall & Jabberswife! & big thanks to the reviewers from chapter 11: ShadowBeats22107, Precious93, any-opt-will-do, MoonyTheAlchemist, JoMiSm, Esha Napoleon, and Guest. **

**Story referenced in this chapter was: "Stumbling Home" by Michelle.** **Damn girl you know how to write some hot stuff.**

**HOLY CRAP PEOPLE everyone needs to go buy the comics Avengers Assemble 12 & 13, & support Clintasha in the comics! Here's where it starts, now let's encourage it! Plus Hawkeye #9 is sure to be a doosy, featuring Natasha, Clint's current girl-friend (buy may be ending), his ex-wife and his protégé. **

**Fun little Easter egg from last chapter: S.H.I.E.L.D. Regulation 007.2.14 – 007: level 7 – 2.14: Valentine's day. See, even boring regulations can have an inside joke written in. **


	13. Lucky chpt 13: Nat's Big O

"Avengers: Fanfiction"

**I don't own any character mentioned in this chapter. (Marvel can have it (but ONLY for Clint & Natasha! Or Gambit & Rogue maybe) if they want, BUT I don't think they have NC-17 comics, so, oh well). **

**We've made it to lucky number 13! This chapter is rated MA for sexy naughtiness – as in smut.**

**Where we left off last time: the team went to a private club. Despite Natasha's challenge, it appears Clint may have seduced **_**her**_**. Clint spilled the beans about them sleeping together to the team – but clarified it wasn't sexual. But then it was… (at least in their dreams)**

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Chapter 13: Nat's Big O

The next morning Clint was feeling good, playful actually, and wanted to goad Natasha into a bit of sparring before doing a looking over some intel for S.H.I.E.L.D. She had gone to her own apartment to get ready that morning, and he thought enough time had passed for her to be decent. So, he simply walked in unannounced. Not overly quiet, mind you (you just don't do that to an assassin), but not making a scene, yet. The back of her loveseat faced the door and he saw her sitting there, apparently engrossed in reading something. He just assumed she knew he was there. She was the Black Widow, after all. So, he crept up as silently as he could, which, in his mind, was warning her of his intent. Or so he thought.

He leapt over the back of the seat and landed on her abdomen, straddling her. Instead of finding his friend ready to flip him over her back, she was wide-eyed in horror. He'd actually surprised her.

Then she screamed.

The Black Widow actually screamed.

The first thing he'd noticed was her eyes. Dark and dilated. For a split second he felt a sense of pride that he'd actually startled her enough to elicit, however fleeting, a moment of genuine surprise and possibly fear.

The second thing he noticed was her breasts.

Her beautiful, naked breasts.

One of which she had been squeezing herself.

Suddenly Clint was very uncomfortable. For more than just one reason.

He bolted from the couch almost as fast as he had jumped on it.

"God Tasha, I'm so sorry…"

"F… fuck Barton! Don't you knock?!"

"Well, not always, no…" and that's when he noticed the rest of her.

She was wearing the outfit from Dubai. Even down to the shoes. She had unbuttoned the silky shirt and the skirt, already quite short, was hiked up, revealing delicate black lace underneath.

The outfit she'd been wearing when they had to pose as an engaged couple.

A very horny, engaged couple.

He'd been sexually frustrated for weeks after that mission, finally finding relief (as his hand just wasn't cutting it this time) in a cute red-head he picked up at a bar.

His mouth dropped to the floor.

"GET OUT BARTON!" She was holding the tablet against her breasts, covering herself. Or hiding something?

A grin spread across his face.

He relaxed his shoulders and allowed a full-blown mischievous smile to show. In his best innocent little-kid voice he said, "Whatcha readin'?"

"None of your goddamned business," she hissed. Oh, this was going to be fun. He started to stalk towards her. Panic crossed her face. "Wha… What are you doing?"

"Whatcha readin'?"

_Oh dear god, _Natasha though to herself. Just before he got close enough to make a grab for the tablet she bolted for her bedroom. Clint was too fast and anticipated her move, however, and she was still shielding the tablet so his hawk-eyes wouldn't catch any of the words on the page, so she didn't have her best balance.

He grabbed her and slammed her against the wall, face first. He pressed her against the wall with his body weight, arms pressed into the wall at either side of her head, waiting for her to make a move. He was going to see what got the Black Widow so hot and bothered even if it killed him. Which it might…

But she didn't move.

Fine. He'd play her game then.

He bent down to her, breathing against the side of her neck. He felt her shiver. He felt her heart racing. He heard her gasp ever so slightly as he nuzzled against her neck.

…_Nah, she's just worked up from her, um, private activities from before I came in. Nothing to do with me._ He could still piss her off enough to get an excellent sparring session out of this.

He spoke softly into her ear, "Care to share the fun, Tasha?"

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_FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK get ahold of yourself Romanoff!_ He was obviously playing. Probably had stopped by to see if she'd spar. It had been a couple days, after all. And he usually didn't knock anyway. But she _couldn't_ get a grip on herself.

She couldn't get her mind off of the strong body pressed against her. She could feel his flexed chest pressing in against her back, the erection pressing against her thigh, could almost feel his lips against her ear. Nope, definitely feeling them now. _Oh god Clint…_ It was everything she could do to just not moan out his name. To lean her head back and invite his to taste her neck. To start begging.

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_Odd_, Clint thought to himself. She would have normally eluded him and flipped him onto his back by now. He hadn't expected anything less. _Let's up the ante._

Grabbing her shoulders he flipped her around, facing him, and almost immediately moved his hands to her arms and flung them apart. The tablet fell to the floor. Natasha's panicked gaze followed it. Clint was very confused. Why did she care so much about whatever was on that stupid thing?

He brought her hands up above her head, but kept his face against her neck. He rested her hands against a wall hook that was above them, not missing the irony there. Surely she'd noticed his erection now, which strained against his pants painfully. Not that she'd ever taken that seriously before, he was, in fact, a straight man and Natasha knew very well the affect she had on men…

His face so close to that oh-so-sexy spot on her neck, he couldn't resist a little taste. Plus he could pass it off as trying to anger her for a good spar. He parted his lips and breathed in. That's when he noticed her scent.

The scent of her arousal was coming from her neck. That hadn't been there just a moment before. He froze. He had Natasha Romanoff in a very… compromising, position. She wasn't fighting him, and she was extremely aroused. For him?

Suddenly his curiosity for what she had been reading became important. He leaned back slightly and turned to see where the tablet had fallen. He followed Natasha's eyes to see that it had fallen revealing its screen. He noticed a title, "In Abandon," before the screen went to hibernate. _Okay, not really sure what that was. Now what?_ Now he had a half naked assassin/partner pinned up against her living room wall with her hands above her head.

Suddenly he remembered her breasts. Her perfect, _naked_ breasts, pushed up against his chest.

He couldn't move. At all. His eyes remained trained on the tabled. _What the hell was going on?_

She turned her head, looking away from the tablet now, but exposing her neck to him again. He turned, unable to resist, pressed his nose into her neck. They were both panting now. His brain just stopped working. _Ohmygodohmygodohmygod…_ was the closest he could get to coherent thought. Without any permission from his brain he pressed into her, grinding his erection into her hip.

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Natasha wasn't going to last much longer. He was barely touching her yet she could feel the heaviness in her abdomen, she could feel her clit throbbing, and she felt like she might just come right then and there.

She turned away from staring at the tablet, satisfied that her little secret remained hidden, but unable to stop her body from revealing its desires. She turned her head a little farther than needed, exposing her neck to her partner. She swallowed audibly. His rough hands pressed harder into hers, and he brought his face back into her neck, nuzzling her. Then he ground his hardness into her.

She arched her back in response, pressing her breasts harder into his chest. She felt him suck in a quick breath, then hold it. She arched her neck back, giving him even more access, and moaned out one pleading word. His name.

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"Clint…" His cock jerked at hearing her speak his name, and he involuntarily thrust into her, grinding more through their clothes. He bared his teeth and bit her neck, then grazed down to that place where her neck meets her shoulder, where he bit down harder. She bucked into him at that, and mewed into his ear. She was begging.

It _had_ been a while, _for both of them_, he realized. And he had caught her at a _very_ vulnerable moment. From her scent and response she had likely been close to coming. _Shit_. This was when he hated being an honorable man. He couldn't take advantage of her like that. Not Natasha. Not his partner. He would not risk what they had for a quick fuck, even if it would be the best in his entire life. Even if he would give his _eyesight_ just to fuck her against the wall right now.

He couldn't do it.

He froze, breathing heavy against her shoulder. _But how in Hell was he supposed to disengage from this awkward situation?_ How was he supposed to walk away when she so obviously _needed_ relief? When she _needed_ a man's touch? How could he do that and it not be awkward anyway?

Without thinking he took another deep breath. _Bad idea, Barton_. He smelled her, the body wash and shampoo she'd used, a slight hint of gun cleaning solution, and the spicy, thick scent of her arousal. He couldn't help himself. He tried, but he really couldn't.

Panting, he opened his mouth again and tasted her with his tongue. She squirmed and brought a leg up, dragging it along his, and hooked it around his waist.

He shifted so that he was holding her wrists with only one hand and started to trace the other down her arm. She bucked against him and moaned his name for a second time. He brought his mouth up to her ear.

"Tasha…" he didn't know what to say, what she needed, where to take this, or how to even ask.

Instead of replying, she acted, pulling his shirt off and sliding down her panties before he could breathe another word. Then she brought her hands back up to the coat hook, giving him the perfect view of her breasts. "Please Clint…"

His body reacted before his brain could even register what was happening.

He took one pert breast into his mouth, licking and sucking, while he kneaded the other with a rough hand. His other hand hiked up her skirt and squeezed her ass . She bucked into him, pressing her clit against the erection hidden in his pants. Her hands were running all over him, his back, his chest, his arms, his ass, as if she was trying to learn every inch of his body.

She moaned again, a wordless cry begging for relief, while she ground harder against him and pulled him into her with her hands squeezing his ass. Clint saw stars. _Keep it together, Barton_, he said to himself, and tried to focus on something, anything, to keep from coming in his pants.

He brought his mouth back to her ear. "Do you need a favor, Tasha?" he said as his left hand moved across her hip and down to her folds.

_God she was so wet._

One finger reached her engorged clit and she cried out, a quick high-pitched squeal of need. In between pants she whispered to him, "…yes."

_Ok, you can do this Barton_, he said to himself. _You can give her what she needs without fucking her, and just pass it off later as helping her out. Good partners help each other out, right?_

Natasha's gasp snapped him out of his thoughts as he realized he'd just put two fingers inside of her. _ How can she be this tight?_ But he remembered she hardly ever had to actually sleep with a mark, not since joining SHIELD. He had no idea the last time she'd actually got laid…

_No Barton, don't think about sex, you're not here for sex, you're here for her…_

He positioned his fingers inside her so that he could reach her clit with his thumb. He began to move his fingers slightly, matching the rhythm with this thumb.

Natasha bit her lip to try and keep herself from screaming. God she needed _him_ inside of her, _right now_. She needed him to fuck her into the wall until she couldn't remember her own name.

She reached down, releasing his pants before he could say no. His cock stood at attention, fighting against his boxer-briefs. She reached inside and took him into her hands.

_Holy mother of God._ He was so wet, and big. His girth would be a bit of a stretch for her, she realized, but she would willingly take it. He felt him tense when she touched him, and suddenly remembered what she was doing and with whom. _Oh shit. What am I doing? Does he really want this? Will this ruin everything?_

He breathed into her ear a sigh of relief. "God Tasha, what you do to me…." It was an admission of sorts, more than just needing a quick fuck or release. She just couldn't do this to him. Use him like this. But where to go now? She'd practically begged him to get her off, and he was willing. Obviously _more_ than willing. _Maybe_, maybe she could do this for both of them. A favor to each other, another way to take care of each other.

She started to stroke him and he added another finger. They both gasped at the sensation, and she hiked her leg up even higher on his hip, arching her back even further and opening up for him. He lost contact with her clit though, and she got an idea.

She released him from his boxers and pushed herself against his length. He tensed. "Natasha, wait…"

"No. Just this Barton, no further. Like this. Please…" she knew he didn't want to fuck her, and that was ok, but they'd gone too far, it would be worse to just stop altogether now, and she wanted him to come too, knew that he needed it also.

He responded with renewed vigor, pulling her into him with one hand against her ass. He pulled his fingers out of her just for a moment, and she wined at that, but then he caught her leg up in his elbow with the same arm, pulling her up even higher and closer to him, and thrust back into her with his fingers. She cried out, and he smirked against her neck. Never in a million years would he have thought he'd be able to make the _Black Widow_ cry out in ecstasy.

He nibbled up her neck and she stretched out further for him, turning her head more to give him better access. They both understood that there would be no kissing today. They both understood that they needed at least that boundary to remain in place to prevent awkwardness later.

As they moved together, her breasts, tight and erect, rubbed against his hard chest. His hairs there tickled her nipples just a touch. With her free hand she dug her nails into his ass, and he smiled again, realizing he'd likely not only be sore but have marks there for a few days.

But that was nothing compared to how she felt against him. Her wetness covered his cock, mixing with his own, and the slick heat of her folds begged him to forgo his inhibitions and bury himself inside her. She stroked the other side of his length with one hand. As they writhed against each other he felt as if he _was _inside of her.

He wondered if he could take much more. He was honestly surprised he'd lasted this long. God, he wanted her so bad. He drug his free hand up her back, relishing in her soft skin, and wrapped his hand around the nape of her neck. Then, taking a little risk, he grabbed her by her hair and roughly pulled her head back, and the same time biting down hard on that wonderful little spot between her shoulder and neck.

It paid off. She screamed out loud, her walls clenching and quivering around his fingers. Her orgasm lasted a little longer as she rode out the sensation, whimpering into his hair.

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There stood there for a moment, her leg still wrapped around him, his fingers still inside her, unsure of what to do next. They shifted, and he released her hair and slid his fingers out of her while she lowered her leg. She buried her face in his chest, unable to make eye contact just yet.

"Ok, wow." That was the best he could do.

"Sorry." Not that she could do much better.

"No, I mean… uh, wow." She just chucked. "Are you… do you… feel good, Nat?"

She couldn't resist falling back into the routine of their banter. She looked up with a smirk. "What do YOU think, Barton?"

He brought the fingers he had fucked her with up to his mouth and sucked on them. Her mouth dropped. "Mmmm… I think you must feel pretty good Natasha… because you taste amaz…"

"Barton!"

"What?"

They finally made eye contact, and they were both grinning. Hell, they hadn't felt so good in months, possibly years.

She looked to the side a bit, and rubbed her back. "Next time I get to pick the surface."

"Next time?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Oops.

She blew it off like a joke, adding a slight laugh. "Oh, in your dreams Barton."

His eyes flashed with more than just mischief. "Always, baby."

She realized he still had his arms around her, resting on her hips. His erection pressed against her belly. He shifted his balance slightly, and his skin teased her nipples. A flush of heat ripped through her body. She buried her head in his chest, trying to gain control of herself. Not the best plan.

She breathed in his scent and bit her lip. God help her, she was ready to go again…

He lightly ran his fingertips up and down her lower back. She shivered in response.

_Oh fuck it._

She reached up and crashed her mouth to his.

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**OMG evil, EVIL cliffhanger! I am terrible. Not all that sorry though. ;) Electronic cookies for whoever can identify the short comic book dialogue reference. **

**Special thanks to my trusty betas: What's that on the wall & Jabberswife, & to my reviewers from Chapter 12: Guest, ShadowBeats22107, Precious93, JoMiSm, Esha Napoleon, Guest, IcarusOwl, any-otp-wil-do, Storm Gryffis, Cas, wolfhawke26, Jewel2414, and biggxr. **

**BTW, when I said "this is where it starts" referring to Avengers Assemble #13 in the comics I meant I think this is where the writers are going to start teasing a Clint/Natasha romance. So, email Marvel & post on the forums to let them know you want these two to be together, in the comics AND the movies. **

**Story referenced in this chapter: "In Abandon" by Arlome. **

**Also – I always get requests to hurry up & post the next chapter so I will try to post #14 earlier (especially considering how this one ended). Also – please review, I'd like to know what you think about how this part of the story is going. **


	14. chpt 14: Clint's big OMG

"Avengers: Fanfiction"

**I don't own the characters, don't sue. (But seriously, DeConnick, Fraction, Spencer, Joss, etc: I'll let you use my ideas/writing/dialogue/whatever for free if you want – as long as you use it for a Clint/Natasha romance!).**

**This chapter is rated MA for sex and all kinds of smut. You are hereby warned. Chapter 13 had a short dialogue reference to Avengers Assemble #5, btw.**

**Last time: Clint surprised Natasha during some **_**very**_** private reading, and he gave her an orgasm for her trouble. When she was done, Clint was still standing at attention (ahem), and they weren't sure how to end such an encounter without awkwardness. Then Natasha had a better idea…**

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Chapter 14: Clint's big OMG

Last time:

**They finally made eye contact, and they were both grinning. Hell, they hadn't felt so good in months, possibly years. **

**She looked to the side a bit, and rubbed her back. "Next time I get to pick the surface."**

"**Next time?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Oops.**

**She blew it off like a joke, adding a slight laugh. "Oh, in your dreams Barton."**

**His eyes flashed with more than just mischief. "Always, baby."**

**She realized he still had his arms around her, resting on her hips. His erection pressed against her belly. He shifted his balance slightly, and his skin teased her nipples. A flush of heat ripped through her body. She buried her head in his chest, trying to gain control of herself. Not the best plan.**

**She breathed in his scent and bit her lip. God help her, she was ready to go again…**

**He lightly ran his fingertips up and down her lower back. She shivered in response. **

_**Oh fuck it.**_

**She reached up and crashed her mouth to his. **

…

At first he startled a little, then responded eagerly. He pulled her body tight against his with one strong hand, the other he fisted in her hair. She moaned into his mouth as their tongues danced and she teased her fingers through the short hair at the base of his skull.

She pressed into him, his erection moistening her belly.

She pulled herself away from his now-swollen lips, mischief gleaming in her eyes. He raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth to speak. She put one finger over his lips.

She approached him again, putting her arms around his neck, and started kissing under his ear. His entire body shivered as her lips moved downward. She kissed at his neck and nibbled at his collar bone. When she reached one nipple she gently licked at it, teasing it to attention. As her hands began to follow the rest of her body in her downward trek Clint squeezed his eyes shut at the realization of her intended destination.

"Shit Tasha, I don't…"

She looked up again, pausing just above his belly button. She licked her lips, placing one finger over them. "Shhhhhh…"

He leaned his head back in silent acceptance.

She continued downward. She brushed her tits against his erection and he moaned in sweet agony.

Her soft fingers ghosted over his cock, one wrapping around the base of his shaft and the other starting to tease his balls. He clenched his fists at his side, and her tongue gently licked away a bead of wetness that had formed at his head.

"Fucking hell…"

She took it slow for him, caressing and licking first, before she took him in as deep as she dared. As she moved her mouth her tongue continued its ministrations. What she lacked in the depth of her mouth she made up for with her hands. It wasn't long before he felt the pressure building.

He felt his entire body quiver as he fought to delay his release.

"Shit, Nat…" she released him with a pop.

"Oh no, you don't. On the bed." She commanded, and starting pushing him towards it.

He furrowed his brows, unsure if this was something he should be doing with his partner. She was having none of that. "Bed. Now."

"Tasha…"

She leaned into his arms. "Clint." Her voice lowered to a husky whisper. "I need you." His resolve melted with her admission. How could he ever deny her?

"Are you sure?" He nuzzled her hair with his nose, taking in her smell. "I don't know if…"

She interrupted him, whispering into his neck and kissing up towards his ear, "Make me forget my own name, Barton…"

He groaned low in his throat then spun them around and threw her onto the bed. He crawled up her body, kissing as he went. When reached her inner thigh she shivered, and she watched as he licked her, mid-thigh to pussy, in one smooth motion.

My god she'd never seen anything so…

She threw her head back and moaned as he lavished attention on her with his tongue. She'd made fun of him in the past for the sheer size of the thing, (and it had seemed to be a bit of a sore topic for him as he stopped sticking it out at her) but now she understood the true value of this particular physical attribute. He thrust into her with his tongue, and brought one hand up to rub her clit with a thumb. As he continued the motion she cried out, unable to stop herself.

His other hand went involuntary to his cock as he tasted her, and he would have been happy to finish right there (hell, he would have been happy to DIE right there) but Natasha stopped him.

"Barton, up here."

He hummed as he sucked on her clit and her entire body flexed in response. Her words came out as pants.

"…Clint, I need you…"

He grinned at her admission, and continued twirling his tongue around her clit.

"…please…"

He gave her one last flick from that surprisingly talented tongue of his and crawled up her body.

He held himself above her for a moment, taking it all in.

He pulled her hands above her head, and secured them with one of his. The result was an absolutely perfect view of her ample bosom.

God she was so beautiful. He was blown away that she wanted HIM. But it was Natasha's silent show of trust that caused Clint's heart to ache. He had her in a very vulnerable position, and he wondered if she'd ever really allowed it before. Certainly not with a mark, and likely not with any chosen lover.

She bit her lip and whimpered, rubbing her legs together.

He slid one leg, then two between hers. She spread for him and his cock came to rest against her folds. _God_, she felt so good against him. She was so hot and wet and ready. But he was a sniper, and he would be patient.

He brought his head down and took a nipple into his mouth. She arched her back into him as he ran his tongue over the pert bud, and she mewled when he sucked down hard. He brought one hand down to her free breast.

She fought to free a hand, and when that failed, she tried to make him slide inside her with the positioning of her hips. He chuckled.

"A little impatient, are we?"

"God Clint, please…"

_She was going to be the undoing of him._ How could he resist that? He ran his dripping head over her clit one more time before pausing at her opening.

"Condom?"

"I'm on birth control, and we're both clean, according to SHIELD medical. Unless there's something you haven't told them since your last checkup?"

He smiled into her neck. "I honestly don't know how long I'll last Nat…" she sucked in a ragged breath.

"Keep breathing into my ear like that Barton and I'm going to beat you to it…"

xxxxx

_How do you describe the first time you slide into the woman you've loved for years? _

_I'm sure I'd think of something poetic or something, like 'home,' or 'alive' if my brain was actually working. As it was, it took take every bit of control I had not to blow my load right then and there._

xxxxx

Natasha wanted to stay in that moment for the rest of her life.

Clint was resting his forehead on her shoulder. Her hands had become intertwined with his above her head. He brought his free hand to her hair, gently petting her as he kissed her clavicle.

"God, Tasha…"

She turned her face to his, and he sat up just a touch, releasing her hands. She brought them to the back of his neck, and pulled him down to her. They stayed there a moment, still not moving, just holding each other, until Natasha built up enough courage to speak.

"Clint…"

Well, it was a start.

He kissed her neck.

She sucked in a shaky breath and whispered into his ear.

"Make love to me, Clint."

He froze. Did she just… did she really say…

Before she would start questioning his unresponsiveness his brain snapped back into action and he took her lips in a rough kiss and started moving inside her. He poured every bit of passion he could muster into the kiss, and she responded, moaning into his mouth and moving with him. He put his hands to work, teasing her breasts.

"God Clint…" she panted into his ear. He squeezed his eyes shut, wanting, _needing_ for her to come again for him.

They picked up speed, and Clint moved one hand down her belly. When his thumb reached her engorged clit she screamed out. "FUCK!"

He smirked just a bit, quite pleased in his manliness that he could bring _the_ Black Widow to such an exclamation. Then he heard her whimpering.

Honest to god whimpering.

"Come for me baby…" he whispered into his ear.

And as if all she was waiting for was his permission, she did.

She pulled him into her, as close and tight as she could, as the orgasm took hold of her. It was too much for Clint and he fell over the edge immediately, filling her.

They clung to each other in a mess of sweat and sheets as aftershocks assaulted them both.

Natasha held him tight against her, not allowing him to move, even as his erection slackened within her.

When her muscles relaxed and her breathing and heart rate slowed Clint slid over next to her. He put one arm around her waist and his nose in her hair and waited. She finally spoke.

"This… doesn't change anything."

Clint smiled to himself. He'd been expecting this.

"Nope."

"We're still partners. We're still a team in the field."

"Yep."

"We're not compromised."

He chucked. "Oh baby, we are SOOOO compromised."

She sat up, fire in her eyes. "Clint, we can't be compromised. We have to have to continue on as if nothing has happened in the field. You can't go jumping out of rafters every time I'm in a dangerous position…"

He silenced her gently, making calming shushing sounds and rubbing one arm. "Yeah, you're right of course. But Tasha…" he gently brushed a wayward lock behind her ear. "This doesn't change _anything_ about our partnership. I've been operating under these feelings for you for _years_. I'm not going to be any different."

She was shocked.

He'd been feeling… no, not ready to address what this was… but he'd been feeling it for YEARS? How? How had their partnership managed not only to stay intact but to be known as the most valuable in SHIELD with him operating under this… whatever this is? She'd survived by utilizing her own Red Room training to stamp down her emotions. What in the hell had Barton been doing? He'd been able to _feel_ and remain not only the best in the world, but a partner and friend to the _Black Widow_?

Maybe the one she had to worry about was herself.

"Come 'ere." He settled into his pillow and pulled her into his arms. "Let's just act like we both had the most amazing sex of our lives and fall asleep in each other's arms, 'kay?"

She just shook her head. "You're the strangest man I know, Clint Barton." He chuckled. "And it's 9:00 in the morning."

He kissed her forehead. "You're the most stubborn woman I know, Natasha Romanov. And I don't care what time it is. Now, sleep with me Tash."

She did.

xxxxxxxxxx

Pepper was cleaning up after an impromptu breakfast with Steve and Bruce. Her morning schedule was open and she had taken the opportunity to spend a little time with the team.

Well, the part of the team that actually showed up.

Tony woke up at 3 a.m. that morning with an idea that would not wait until morning, and she hadn't seen him since. Thor had yet to return from Asgard. Clint and Natasha had yet to appear from their apartments. Well, they deserve it, she decided, after what Tony had told her about last night she couldn't blame them for sleeping in. She only wished the two would get over whatever it was that held them back and hook up already.

Her phone buzzed. She opened her email app to find she'd received a notice that a new chapter had been posted to one of the stories she was following.

She hadn't admitted to anyone since Tony's big reveal of the website that she secretly loved these things. She loved the name the 'fan-dom' had given her romance with Tony; "Pepperony" was adorable and always made her laugh. Plus the stories gave her great ideas on how to spice things up in her love life. Even the ones that focus on her and Tony, she still used the ideas. Men are men, after all.

She also loved them because of the love stories. Especially the "Clintasha" fictions. It gave her hope that her friends could one day get past their fears and find the happiness that awaited them in each other. She clicked on the email.

It was an update of the story "Dear Fanfiction Writers." She smiled, this was a fun one. Maybe the "letter" would be "from" her this time?

xxxxxxxxxx

Some strange buzzing noise pulled Clint from oblivion. His mind tried to gain his bearings. Bed. Natasha. Naked (_whoa_). Phone?

The clock next to her bed read 2:00 p.m.

Jesus Christ, they'd slept for 5 hours?

He'd been sure they'd wake up and have another go before lunch. Ah the best laid plans of mice…

Natasha moaned about his phone and he managed to pick it up without dropping it. "Barton."

"Hill. I've got a mission for you and Romanoff."

xxxxxxxxxx

**As always, thanks to my betas: What's that on the wall & Jabberswife, & thanks to the reviewers from chapter 13; ShadowBeats22107, MoonyTheAlchemist, ksp2010, Guest, Precious93, RolleRolleRolle, Gaby de Brabant, IcarusOwl, Esha Napoleon, Blerb, rainystv, wolfhawke26, Shadowpool95, any-opt-will-do, and makoblue93! **

**Stories in this chapter: "Dear Fanfiction Writers," by LittleBabeBlue. That story is so funny. Not-so-subtle hint on an idea for your next chapter. Ha. **

**Soooo… Barton's tongue. Do some looking on Google & you might understand. I'm honestly surprised this particular body part hasn't made it into more Barton/Clintasha FF cannon, I mean, it might make him a bit of a sloppy kisser or add a little accent to his words sometimes but ladies think of … nevermind. I'll stop now. Sorry about that. **

**Shameless plug: If you want Clintasha in the comics universe (which almost always spills over to the movies) check out my one-shots. I'm trying to come up with a way for them to get together that's logical and in-character & my muse is insisting on one-shots at this point. I may eventually put my favs together into a chapter story. (I'm secretly hoping a Marvel writer will read them and use some of my stuff. I'm offering it to them for FREE, after all)**

**Answer to "Guest" question from Chapter 13: YES, there's a chance the writers will get these two together in the comics AND the movies. That's why I keep encouraging you guys to email Marvel (mheroes marvel . com) and post on their forums at Marvel . com – to let them know what the fans want! Marvel is a for-profit company, after all, and it will act in whatever way thinks will sell more comics and movie tickets. So let them know what you want to help them decide! **


	15. Chpt 15: Bolero

"Avengers: Fanfiction"

**I don't own any characters mentioned in this chapter. (Marvel can have my story & ideas, dialogue, etc (but ONLY for Clint & Natasha!). What do you say, Marvel writers, anyone interested? DeConnick? Fraction? Spencer? I'll throw in cookies…)**

**This chapter is rated M for sex and discussion of sex trafficking. I'll mark where it begins & ends for those who want to skip it. **

**Where we left off last time: Clint and Natasha had sex. Pretty much sums it up. Oh yeah, and at the end Hill called saying she had a mission. **

**A/N: so… my muse is growing tired of this story. And since I'm not being paid to write (although, Marvel, I would certainly entertain any and all offers for future stories, and you still get this one FREE as stated above) I'll likely wrap it up in a few chapters (luckily, thanks to the excellent advice I received from Alpha Flyer a while ago, I had most of the final chapter written already). Sorry gang. When the muse speaks, I must listen. **

xxxxxxxxxx

Chapter 15: Bolero

Two hours later Strike Team Delta was on a plane over the ocean traveling to some third-world country. They had hopped on a military transport to avoid any local suspicion with the locals. To avoid any suspicion with their transport they had donned military BDU's and fake identities.

Natasha had to admit, Barton looked _damn_ good in an Army uniform.

She imagined he had been quite the picture during his time in Afghanistan. At least she'd be able to enjoy the view for a short while on this mission. Their location was going to be in a warm climate, and she allowed herself to envision stripping him of those fatigues in some sweaty safe house…

He noticed and flashed her a heated look, his eyes promising pleasure, before he turned his attention back to his mission file as if nothing had happened.

Natasha had always assumed things would change if she and Barton were… compromised, with each other. She had imagined they'd have to end their partnership because Barton wouldn't give her the space to work, to do her job, dangerous as it was. She'd been afraid he'd lose focus or do something stupid and unnecessary to protect her. She'd worried that he'd get distracted by her body once he'd had her, and give away their relationship to others, friend or foe. But now, her increased heart rate and flush body demonstrated _her _lack of control.

Shit. Maybe SHE had always been the weak link.

They can do this, right? SHE can? She can be compromised and not compromise the mission? After all, they're Avengers now. They play by a whole new set of rules. SHIELD regs only loosely apply to them anymore. It's a whole new world for them.

Natasha pulled her thoughts away from what her body wanted and opened the mission file again.

xxxxx

Clint smiled internally. Of course he'd noticed her looking. His ego inflated a little more at the knowledge of what he was able to do to the Black Widow before he checked himself. He had an identity to memorize.

But his thoughts drifted back to Natasha as they always did during mission prep. It had become his routine, as normal as the tension-filled banter he often engaged in with his partner.

It hadn't even been 12 hours since their little, tryst, and Clint was surprised that something within himself _had_ changed after breaching the barrier the two had imposed for so long. Natasha had called out the wildness in him. He knew that she's not the kind of lover to be a submissive, but he'd felt so, _possessive_, earlier that morning (_oh god, this morning…_) and it surprised him. Even now, he could feel the pull to mark her, to brand her as his own. He could feel the need to take her and fuck her in front of any man who so much as looks at her to show them that she's _his. _To show them that he can make her feel like no one else can. That she was his alone.

It was not exactly a productive emotion considering their upcoming assignment. Natasha was set to seduce a back-woods arms dealer who'd been trying to get some new Hammer tech. The douche-bag Hammer had been experimenting with weaponized nano-bots and even though intel shows it's far from ready for the field the black market had been abuzz with excitement.

It didn't help that their mark was extremely hot either. Even as a man Clint had to admit the guy looked incredibly sexy based on the photographs provided by SHIELD. Hell, he'd probably even put Steve and Thor to shame. Clint would LOVE to shove it in this guy's face that Natasha, would will undoubtedly be the most attractive person at tomorrow night's "bad guy shindig," has chosen him as her partner and lover. Preferably by some means involving her ass in his hands and her begging him to take her to bed.

Okay, so maybe Nat was right that sex would lead to some stuff that _could_ affect the field. But he wasn't going to let it. Not when her safety was at stake. He'd been doing this job with her long enough to know better.

He looks up to find Natasha's questioning gaze. Damn they knew each other too well.

"You've got quite the eye-candy for this mission, Nat."

She grinned, and looked him up and down. "I think I do, Barton."

He chuckled. "I mean our mark."

She raised an eyebrow. "Is that jealousy, Agent?"

He shrugs. "I was actually thinking of ways that I could make him jealous of me…"

She laughed slightly. "Now THAT could be fun. Any ideas?"

A smile spread across Clint's face. Natasha rolled her eyes.

"Forget I asked."

xxxxxxxxxx

That night the mission protocols changed. After landing and arriving at their safe house for the night they learned that SHIELD had already apprehended the potential terrorist and taken him for interrogation. But they still wanted Strike Team Delta to attend the sleazy back woods party to establish identities for a potential future op.

But with no target it left the question of what their false identities should be for the best result. They discussed the issue with Hill over a secure comm.

"I think this time the two of your should arrive separately." Hill paused, and they could hear her typing for a moment. "Hawkeye, we can secure you a terrorist identity that won't raise any flags for the potential suppliers.

"Okay, and what's Nat's play?"

"Black Widow, we have an identity you can assume as a high-priced prostitute."

Natasha sighed. Some things never changed.

Clint frowned. "Uh, is that going to be believable? Are there even working girls of Natasha's caliber in this region?"

"Barton…" Natasha started, but was interrupted by Hill.

"No, you're right Agent Barton. We dug a little and found that your host had ordered some women flown in from Europe. They're planning on really impressing their clientele tomorrow."

Natasha's jaw set. Clint rubbed the back of his neck. They both hated working with human trafficking.

"We going to work _that_ angle too, right Hill?"

"Yes, of course Natasha. All you two need to do is plant some bugs on the women, their handlers and the clients and we'll take care of the rest."

Natasha frowned. She would have liked to take care of the human traffickers _personally_.

Clint spoke up. "That's it? Why send us?"

"We'll need you two to build and maintain cover for future missions with several different parties and groups that will be in attendance. We're starting work on many different angles here."

Natasha mulled Hill's instructions through her head. "And by 'maintain cover' you mean…"

"That's right, Agents. _Maintain cover._ However you find it necessary based on the situation, but it your identities with these individuals will be required for future ops."

"Shit." Clint shook his head. He could feel his blood pressure rising. "SHIELD has _never_ required Natasha to sleep with a target before Hill, why now?"

Hill chuckled over the comm. Natasha smiled. "She's not asking me to sleep with a _target_, Agent Barton…"

His mouth dropped.

"And I'm not asking that you have sex with _anyone_, Agent Romanoff. We just need a particular cover maintained in public. What happens in private of your own volition is none of our concern."

Natasha had to work to keep herself from laughing.

Clint spoke up. "Understood. Strike Team Delta out."

The Agents stared at each other for a moment. Natasha spoke first.

"How much money do you think Hill has on us?"

Clint leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head, eyebrows furrowed. "I just hope my cover identity is important enough that our host feels the need to send his best lady to me."

Natasha frowned. That could be a problem. She opened a file from Hill on her laptop with information about her new identity and other attendees.

As Natasha read through the information Clint took a minute to browse what had some to be a source of inspiration for him in his quest for Natasha – fan fiction. He defaulted to a particular author he knew he and tried a new story.

He wished he hadn't.

The story centered on Natasha acting as a stripper/prostitute where Clint was her 'audition' for the job. His breathing changed as he started to harden at the thought of Natasha… well, everything. The thought of getting to put on a _show_ of his lust for Natasha during a mission, instead of hiding it. The thought of knowing her _real_ desire underneath the act she would put on…

He closed the laptop and Natasha startled just a little at the abrupt sound. He stood and adjusted himself as he walked to the old refrigerator, taking a swig of some bottled water. He put the bottle down and put his hands on the countertop, lowering his head in frustration.

Natasha's hands slipped in around his hips as she appeared behind him. They traveled up to his arms and back down as she reached up and nuzzled his neck with her mouth. She spoke first.

"I take it you found something enjoyable to read?"

He sniffed in reply. "I take it you have a plan?"

She turned him to face her, and he leaned up against the counter. She started playing with his chest, her eyes averted and coy.

"In fact I do, Hawkeye. Considering my artificial 'ranking' amongst the women I will be able to choose my John for the evening. Considering the identity SHIELD has prepared you will likely be able to choose your woman for the evening. You will introduce yourself and quickly make clear your intention towards me."

His hands moved to her hips and started to squeeze. She continued.

"You will mingle and talk business, and I will spend the evening teasing you to the point of hardness." She grabbed his crotch, which had already complied with her plan. "Then you will excuse yourself and take me to your room."

He swallowed. "And what will we do there?"

She smiled, and whispered into his ear. "Anything we want."

He took her mouth in a rough kiss and she wrapped a leg around his waist. She broke the kiss and continued talking as she kissed his neck.

"You will clear your room of bugs and video and they will respect you for it. However you will confirm a weakness to them, after you become obsessed with me, that you have been too busy to indulge in life's basest pleasures. You will be easily distracted in conversation by my body, and you will excuse yourself early when you can't take it anymore."

His hands had migrated to her ass and he ground her into him as he responded. "Baby, I don't think I'll have to work too hard on that cover."

She stepped back, breaking contact. "Good. Because I have to leave now if I'm going to make it to my transport."

It felt like she'd thrown a bucket of cold water of his head. "Wha?"

She raised an eyebrow. "It needs to appear that I have been flown in from Europe, Barton. Plus this will give me time to learn about the other women."

He shook his head. "And make it easy for me to appear sexually frustrated."

She grinned. "Bingo."

He laughed to himself as she gathered up her gear. "You are evil, Natasha Romanoff."

"You knew that a long time ago, Clint Barton."

She had to leave a good deal of her weaponry, but Clint wasn't concerned. "Give me regular updates."

She wrapped her arms around her lover's neck. "Of course, Hawkeye."

"Be safe, Widow."

They kissed as gently as they could, and Clint watched as Natasha got in the SUV waiting at the front of the building.

Maybe she was the better actress and the better spy, but this was one role Clint would not have trouble with. He had ample practice at being sexually frustrated.

xxxxxxxxxx

The next evening Clint made the long drive to the watering hole / small hotel in the middle of nowhere where he was to meet with several parties for black market weapons collaboration. Several SHIELD Agents accompanied him, playing the role of bodyguards.

He was assigned a private lodge that was not visible from the road. His team cleared the place first, then set up a perimeter as he entered. He began his search, collecting several audio and video bugs. Then he changed and walked to the main building, one very large SHIELD agent in tow as his personal guard.

When he entered the simple hall his senses were first assaulted by the sweet smell of cooking meat. His stomach growled. The mission prep hadn't allowed for decent meals, and he hadn't heard from Tasha yet. While he trusted her skills and intuition, worry had become a common companion over the years, and he ignored it the best he could. If he could just hear her voice…

A large, heavy-set man his intel identified as the organizer of this little event approached him.

"Welcome to my private oasis, Mr. Slighn." They shook hands.

"Mr. Roshholm." He nodded his head towards the bar and began to walk. He ordered scotch and didn't take his eyes off the bartender as he prepared it. Roshholm noticed, and smiled.

"A professional indeed. My instinct was correct about you, Slighn."

Clint took the drink and looked back at his host. He scanned the room once more, but Natasha or the other women had not made an entrance yet.

"I'm a busy man, Roshholm."

"Indeed you are. America, Congo, Paris, and now here, all in one week."

Clint raised an eyebrow. "I do my research, my friend. Not to offend, but it is necessary for my safety in this business." Clint took a drink, and the man watched him further. "Certainly you understand?"

Clint was honestly surprised that SHIELD had thrown together such an extensive trial for his identity in such a short period of time. Then again, they did have some of the best hackers in the world on payroll now…

"I do, but were the cameras in my room necessary? Surely the search from your security detail at my arrival was sufficient, or are you incapable of finding competent forces?" Clint sighed inwardly. The spy dance made him weary.

A grin stretched across the other man's face. "No, not necessary. A test of some sorts, and also a… courtesy, to my associates." A murmur spread through the small crowd and he turned to look. "Ah, here they are now." The women walked in. "Beautiful, are they not? Extremely talented, and expensive. As such, they request additional security." Large men were following the women, who begin to disperse throughout the crowd.

Clint raises an eyebrow. "I certainly hope you don't expect one of THEM to be allowed into private quarters if I choose a woman?" he said, nodding towards the large bodyguards.

Roshholm let out a hearty laugh, and patted him on the back. "I like your humor, my friend."

Clint crossed his arms and repeated his earlier mantra, "I am a busy man, Mr. Roshholm."

"Indeed. But as I'm sure you did your homework, and as you have committed to stay through the day tomorrow, you must know that tonight is for friendship, and for… pleasure." He motioned toward to the women. "Surely you see something you like?"

Clint scanned the room, finding Natasha as she entered with the last of the women. He allowed his face and breathing to display the desire he felt. God, she was sexy. The older man's grin widened.

"Indeed, I believe you do." He waived to Natasha's 'handler,' also a SHIELD agent, signaling she had a man interested already who was a high priority for their host. "Please, enjoy yourself tonight, Slighn. Go make a new friend. Get refreshed. Tonight we talk and relax, tomorrow we finalize our transactions."

Without another glance Clint left his host and started moving towards Natasha.

xxxxx

This was NOT a nice place, and Natasha and the other women had dressed accordingly. Their clothing sported expensive brand names that barely had any fabric, their bodies dripped with expensive jewelry which seemed to cover more than the clothing, and the platform boots were going to put Natasha at eye level with Clint. She looked every bit the pricey whore she was portraying.

After spending time with the women her mood had decidedly lightened. The women were all here of their own volition, and making _damn_ good money for their efforts. Well, probably all, there was one who was a little shy that she wasn't quite sure about…

Clint stood next to her, posturing like the alpha-male arms dealer he was portraying, and took her hand in his, kissing it. He snuck in a quick lick, just because he could.

"And what is your name, beautiful?"

"My name is Nicolette," she replied in a flawless French accent.

He looked her up and down, then licked his lips. "I hope you will accompany me this evening, Nicolette."

"Yes, I would love to, Mr…"

"Slighn." He was having trouble keeping eye contact, despite her boots making up the height difference. "Can I get you a drink, Nicolette?"

"Of course, but allow me to accompany you." They began to walk, and Clint put an arm around her waist. She whispered into his ear. "You may touch me more, if you wish."

His hand obediently slid down over her ass and squeezed. His cock jumped in his pants, and she smiled. This was going to be a long night.

As the night went on the other men got drunker and their tongues got looser. Natasha did an excellent job appearing to ignore the content of the conversations while almost constantly teasing Clint. Whether it was through physical content or moving her body in just the right way she made sure he was almost constantly hard.

The other men noticed. Clint was the recipient of many comments such as 'you've got a lively one there,' and 'lucky bastard.' He even got an offer to share, from a man who spent a little too much time staring at his crotch. Clint politely declined.

After several hours they had so much intel they could plan several missions in the next 24 hours if they needed to. Eventually Natasha felt as if they had enough, but needed to encourage their cover a little, so she started to act a bit drunk. Clint responded immediately, and whispered into her ear.

"Should we take this somewhere a little more private, _Nicolette_?"

She giggled and bit her lip, leading him away to a nearby room. It was nothing more than a small conference room, but it was going to have to do. Her 'bodyguard' followed, taking a post outside of the door. If any of the guests had questions about what was going on in there before, they certainly didn't now.

As soon as he closed the door Clint pulled Natasha into a rough kiss and leaned against the wall. He moving his attention to her ear, and whispered.

"Status report."

She moaned as he started kissing her neck. "Only had to tag one girl. All the others are private contractors here voluntarily. Shit Clint, they make almost as much money turning tricks as I used to doing hits."

He chuckled. "Maybe you're in the wrong line of work."

She raised an eyebrow. "Didn't think you to be the sharing type."

He stopped, and looked her in the eye. "I'm not."

They stood there, unmoving, for several moments, so much being said in the silence. Natasha finally brought her mouth to his, and whispered, "I'm not either."

They kissed hard and fast, running their hands over each other. This final barrier removed, neither wasted the opportunity to explore the realm of their relationship they'd once feared.

"I want you, Romanoff," he panted between kisses.

She raised her head, arching her neck to give him access. "Then take me, Barton."

**xxxxx(smut starts here)xxxxx**

He wasted no time, and walked her backwards against the small table in the room. Her ass bumped up against it and she put her hands out on the table top to steady herself as he consumed her mouth. Then he surprised her, and flipped her around and pressed her chest down against the table by the nape of her neck.

Perhaps it was a bit of a test, to see how much she truly trusted him, perhaps it was a primal reaction to hours of merciless teasing, but he wanted, _needed_, to take her in this way. Laying there she was exposed, vulnerable, _his_. He could do what he wanted with her.

He pulled her back against him, slamming her ass against his crotch. She gasped, and he could see one eye dilated in surprise and desire as she turned the best she could to look at him.

He grinned, a dark look spreading across his face, and he went down to his knees, simultaneously pushing her satin panties to the side.

He hadn't been the only one aroused for quite some time.

He moaned as he sucked on her, relishing in her desire. He squeezed her ass and reached up to tease one breast. He fucked her with his tongue and teased her clit. She arched her back in pleasure as he lavished attention on her and whispered his name. He freed himself from the confines of his pants.

He kissed up her back to her neck, his cock pushing against her folds and one hand squeezing a breast as he reached her ear.

"You ready?" His husky voice betrayed his impatience.

She could only whisper a weak "yes."

He guided himself inside her slowly, despite his desire to slam full into her. His rough string fingers went straight to her clit, helping her relax and adjust to his size and he started to move.

As Natasha laid face down against a small conference table, her partner fucking her from behind, she was surprised at just how… liberating, the situation was. He was totally in control here. He could fuck her as he pleased from this position. Yet she completely trusted him in this, as she did in everything, and letting go of that control was a relief. She didn't have to maintain her guard with Clint, or worry about, well… anything, with him. She could let go of _the Black Widow_ and just be Natasha, a woman being fucked by a man she deeply desired.

She pressed her forehead against the table and gritted her teeth in pleasure as he increased his speed. He used his free hand to grip her hip as he pummeled her, and she could tell by his grunts and moans that he was already close.

"Do it Clint," she hissed.

"Shit, Tasha…"

He came with a wordless cry, and collapsed onto her back. She bore his weight smiling, as he panted into her ear. After his breathing calmed somewhat, kissed her gently on the cheek.

"You're amazing Tash."

"You're heavy, Clint."

He stood up, laughing a little, and helped her up. She cleaned up the best she could with her panties, then stuffed them in his pocket. He laughed again, and she raised an eyebrow.

"What are you laughing at? You've got a long night ahead of you, Agent."

"You didn't come, did you?"

"No."

A devilish grin spread across Hawkeye's face. "I'm going to spend all night making that up to you, aren't it?"

She motioned towards the door. "Yes."

xxxxx

Clint led her out of the room, past the other guests, pausing to smile and wink at a few choice criminals, then the pair continued on to his small cabin. The two SHIELD 'bodyguards' followed them, white as ghosts. Undoubtedly they were convinced the Black Widow and Hawkeye would kill them should they breathe a word of what they had seen and heard to their colleagues. They may have been right at one point.

Natasha approved of the room, it was quite luxurious for such a out-of-the-way location, and smiled at the king sized bed. She set her small purse down on a dresser and used the bathroom while Clint checked the room for bugs one more time.

"We're clear in here, Nat," he called to her through the door. "No bugs."

She smiled. There was ONE he probably missed.

She saw her purse still sitting on the dresser as she exited the bathroom. Yep. One left. But it was video only, so there was at least that…

Clint looked her up and down, and felt his body respond. She had removed her bra, and he was holding her panties. He chuckled to himself, and rubbed the back of his head. "Ya know, Nat, it's been awhile, and uh, I don't know how many times I can keep this up before…"

She put a hand over his mouth. "You're not getting off that easy." He snorted at the pun. She produced a little blue pill. Viagra. "All the girls got one. We were to slip it in our John's drinks, to make sure they had a VERY memorable evening."

Clint forgot to close his mouth.

Natasha slipped out of the top she was wearing, and pressed one of Clint's hands to her breast. He swallowed audibly. She pressed her body against his, and felt his growing erection.

"You do owe me, Barton. Let's just see how long you can go before you actually need this."

He tilted his head back as she started nibbling on his neck, and whispered in Russian, "Oh god…"

xxxxxxxxxx

**As always, thanks to my betas: What's that on the wall & Jabberswife, & thanks to the reviewers from chapter 14; ShadowBeats22107, Blue43, Precious93, IcarusOwl, 26wolfhawke, Esha Napoleon, ksp2010, DragonScaleXV, & avngstories.**

**Stories in this chapter: "Silver Lining" by Michelle. **

**Hope this chapter wasn't too terrible, the muse has been giving me trouble again. Let me know what you think if you have a minute! Virtual gooey butter cake (whoa!) for anyone who gets the title for this chapter. **


	16. Chpt 16: Hawkward

"Avengers: Fanfiction"

**I don't own any characters mentioned in this chapter. (Marvel can have my story & ideas, dialogue, etc FREE (but no changing it to Clint/Jessica, Natasha/Bucky, or other romances). What do you say, Marvel writers, anyone interested? Yeah, you'd have to translate it to comic script, (or I could try?) but it's still FREE. DeConnick? Fraction? Spencer? Anyone?)**

**This chapter is rated M for cursing & sexiness, but I'll mark where it begins & ends for those who want to skip it (but it's not as graphic as before anyway). T**

**Where we left off last time: Clint and Natasha went on a mission, then had more sex. Lots more sex.**

**A/N: Chapter 15's title, "Bolero," is a reference to orchestral piece by Maurice Ravel. It's been used in movies for the perfect music to, well, you know what, to, over and over again. **

**PS, sorry it's late, & happy belated birthday Lily!**

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Chapter 16: Hawkward?

Sunlight began to filter in through the blinds as Clint slowly returned to consciousness. He first noticed just how sore his body felt. He grinned at that, as his memory awoke also. His late night, and early morning "activities" had required every bit of the substantial physical stamina he possessed.

Natasha had been merciless. And he'd needed that little pill.

Not that he minded.

He stretched and his body complained. This was the best morning he'd had in a very long time. He looked for his partner but apparently she was out at the moment. Probably checking in with her 'pimp.' He chuckled at that. But considering his cover's security entourage and her personal body guard (and not to mention her mad skills) he wasn't worried about her.

After finishing in the bathroom he gingerly laid himself back on the bed. His body was certainly making him pay. Not long after he heard the door open and she walked in.

She was a mess, and she was beautiful. She had got herself together a little for whatever 'meeting' she'd had with her 'employer,' but he could still see a mess of bed-head and kiss-swollen lips. He imagined many places on her body would remain swollen and sore for some time.

He noticed that she was carrying a tray of some sort. His stomach growled as his nose identified food.

"Baby, I knew you loved me…" he started with a grin.

She snorted in response. "While you slept, _Agent Barton_, I took care of the sex trafficking issue for one girl, procured breakfast, and got you out of your afternoon meetings."

He raised an eyebrow.

"You'll get the call from Rushholm soon enough. Now, breakfast."

As he dug into some wonderfully crisp bacon, she added in a low tone, with fresh fruit in her mouth, "and I confiscated the sex tapes that were made of us."

He spit out his food. Damn waste of bacon.

"What?!"

"Well, technically they weren't tapes, but a hard drive," she held it out for him to observe. "And technically it was just one long," she grinned, then added, "VERY long, recording."

Clint was stunned. "How? I cleared this place…"

She bowed her head and looked up at his with doe eyes. His mouth dropped.

"Natasha Romanoff!"

"I just couldn't resist Clint. They gave each of us purses with hidden recording devices that transmitted to a particular receiver. For advertisement and training. I disabled the audio but…"

He couldn't find any words. With a coy smile she crawled up onto his lap.

"I wanted something to for us to have if we go on solo missions."

She started to grind against his crotch and he closed his eyes and moaned. She whispered into his ear.

"I've been alone too long, Barton. I have a lot of time to make up for."

She ran her hands over his chest as she started nibbling on his collar bone.

He chucked to himself as she continued her ministrations. He ran his hands up and down her back. "I'll never think of the words 'this call may be recorded for training purposes' the same ever again."

xxxxx

Later that morning, as predicted, a call came in from Roshholm. He got right to the point.

"I must advise you to leave as quickly as possible. One of the employees was seen speaking with a government agent. We can never be too careful."

Clint played his part. "Thank you for the information, Roshholm, but this is a serious concern. How can I trust to do business with you with such events taking place?"

Roshholm answered, his voice calm. "Do your research, Slighn. I believe you will find, as I did, that the breach was from who is now a _former_ consultant. One of the ladies was not here of her own free will. That is not acceptable. She has been freed and her employer has been… dealt with."

Clint rolled his eyes. Oh goodie. An arms dealer, whose weapons had killed innocent children had 'standards.' He wanted to vomit.

"We shall see, Mr. Roshholm. I will contact you in the future if I deem it necessary and prudent."

"Of course, Mr. Slighn. I will await your call."

The call ended and Clint looked over to Natasha. She raised an eyebrow. "Gotta hand it to ya Nat, you sure can deliver."

She stretched and started gathering the remainder of her things. She picked up the red corset she'd been wearing the night before.

"Oh, and uh, would you wear that under your BDUs?"

xxxxx

The return flight had been long and tiring. Military transport didn't exactly offer first class accommodations. Hell, they didn't even come close to coach, screaming two-year olds and all.

The majority of the flight was spent in comfortable silence, with the two trying to assist the other in getting physically comfortable so they could catch a little more sleep before arriving.

Clint and Natasha didn't even bother changing out of the BDUs they were wearing as part of their transport covers when they arrived stateside. Fatigue had begun to set in as the two shuffled into the elevator at Avengers tower. Jarvis welcomed them as the doors closed.

Clint looked over to Natasha and spoke softly. "So, you want to tell anyone…"

She answered quickly before he finished. "No."

He looked up as the numbers ticketed off on the elevator. "You ready for this?"

She sighed. Hopefully their other team members wouldn't give them too much trouble, but she that the thought behind Clint's comment had merit. "No, but with any luck they won't be around."

Jarvis spoke again. "I'm afraid I have already alerted everyone to your presence. They are awaiting your arrival."

Clint watched as the elevator neared the main Avengers floor. "Well, here we go."

The doors opened to and the eyes of the SHIELD agents were immediately drawn to what appeared to be a giant boar roasting over an open flame in the middle of the living space.

They looked at each other. Natasha spoke. "Your place?"

"Close the doors, Jarvis, and take us back down to street level."

Unfortunately, Tony caught them.

He put his arm between the closing doors, and they ceased their motion. "Oh no you don't," he scolded. "You're not escaping that easily. Not after everything we've done."

Natasha raised an eyebrow. "And just what _have_ you done?" she asked as she walked into the mess. Her boots crunched on scattered glass and balloons bounced out of her way, occasionally popping on some of the shards. Clint just shook his head and laughed.

Bruce looked up from his work with a broom. "We saved the world, of course."

Steve stood up from the bar, having just blown up another balloon. "We were attacked. Hammer came after us with some kind of robots he called 'boom bots,'

Tony interrupted. "Doom, not boom."

"Wait a minute, there's something called a 'doom' bot?" Clint didn't look convinced.

Bruce shrugged his shoulders. "Apparently."

"Well, now I've heard everything."

"Yeah, he had pretty bad timing too," Tony continued. "Right after they smashed through my window here Thor showed up for a visit. He had all the fun." Tony did his best pouty-face as he looked over at Thor, who was busy tending the meat and had not noticed their arrival just yet.

Bruce leaned in towards Clint and Natasha. "Strange thing was, the remaining robots fled after Thor destroyed most of them. Hammer didn't appear to be in control of them."

"Jarvis is compiling and analyzing the data as we speak," Tony started, before he tilted his head to the side and squinted at the two agents, "and speaking of Jarvis, he reported some troubling vital signs from you two. At one point both your vitals spiked so dramatically that Jarvis felt it necessary to warn us. Fury just ignored me when we tried to get a status on you two. I almost flew over there! Have you been checked by medical yet?"

Natasha steeled her face. Clint sucked in a breath. Bruce cleared his throat. "Not necessary, Tony." He looked over to the SHIELD agents. "It was a misread. I recalibrated the algorithms to take into consideration their high level of physical fitness and skill."

Tony looked shocked. "Bruce, you… hacked my program?"

Bruce frowned at Tony. "I adjusted OUR program as needed." He looked back at the Agents, a look of apology obvious in his eyes. "Don't worry, there won't be any further… misreads."

Clint let out a breath, and Natasha smiled slightly. "Thank you, Bruce." Clint chuckled under his breath. "I think I owe ya one, buddy."

The gathering at the elevators finally caught Thor's attention, who left the roasting meat and started walking over towards his comrades, a smile spreading across his face.

"Clint! Natasha! My friends! You have returned!" He quickly caught the two in a tight embrace.

Steve released another balloon, which promptly popped when it fell to the floor. "After the battle Thor heard you were returning so he insisted on a celebratory feast." Thor released his friends who caught their breath. "Tony adapted the ventilation system to remove the smoke."

Clint swore under his breath. "Awe man, my vents…"

Thor put his arms around Clint and Natasha's shoulders. "Come, let us share tales of our adventures! Surely the Hawk and the Spider have much to tell of their recent quest!"

Natasha turned to Tony, wanting to quickly redirect the conversation. "Where's Pepper?"

He snorted. "Avoiding this mess. But she did instruct me to make sure you two checked in with her later."

Thor lead the team to the fire, where he went back to preparing the meat, and starting telling his tale of the battle with the robots. Clint looked the carcass over.

"I can understand a celebratory BBQ, but… a wild BOAR? Where did he even FIND one of these in New York?"

Bruce shook his head, chuckling. "You don't want to know what he suggested at first…"

xxxxx

The team finally allowed Clint and Natasha the space to return to their apartments and unpack. Before Natasha had emptied out one of her bags Clint was climbing out of the vents into her room.

"A little smoky in there, Barton?"

"No, thank god, Stark didn't use these for their little grilling experiment." He stood up and just looked at her. She frowned.

"What?"

"Nothing. Go about your business like I wasn't even here."

She put her hands on her hips. "Okay Barton, what are you up to?"

He chuckled. "Just um, wondering if you fulfilled my little request."

She squinted for a moment, then grinned. "Oh, you mean this?" She pulled off her camo shirt to reveal the requested corset, her bust threatening to spill out.

Clint cleared his through. "Well, yeah."

"Look all you want, Clint, that's all you're gonna get." She turned back to her gear, looking away. Was she blushing a touch? "Honestly, I'm a little sore. Probably will need a couple days off from marathon sex."

Clint let out a breath, then laughed. "Thank god, Tasha. After… well, I think I'm gonna need a break too." She looked back at him, grinning.

"A couple days off then, Barton?"

"You got it Romanoff." He pulled himself back up into the vent. "But no promises on teasing."

She smiled. Two can play at that game, Barton.

"Hawkeye, be back over here in 30. We got a ton of paper work to start, especially detailing every contact and all the intel."

She heard him sigh from above her. "Hey, at least this time we won't have to account for every minute. A VERY good portion of the report will just have to read 'REDACTED.'"

xxxxx

They finished the report about 24 hours later, which was record time, considering the vast amount of intel obtained and the fact that Barton was involved in writing it. Hill called Natasha's phone about 10 minutes after they submitted the report via the SHIELD secure network.

"Barton here."

She paused for a moment, having expected Natasha. "It's Hill. Have yourself and Romanoff in the tower's conference room in 2 hours."

"Yes ma'am. Is there a problem?"

"No, I just want to… personally debrief you. I'm en route. Hill out."

Clint smiled. _Oh yeah, she knows_. He looked over to Natasha, grinning. "Looks like Hill's gonna make some money off us."

xxxxx

Hill walked into the conference room trying her absolute best to hide a grin. To any other person she looked angry and stoic. Clint and Natasha immediately saw through her façade.

Clint stood from where he had been leaning against the table, talking with Natasha. "Hill."

She ignored her best agents and opened the file. She made a show of looking through it for a moment the flopped it onto the table. The papers in the open file were print-outs from their most recent mission report. Next to hourly time stamps was repeated, over and over again, the word "REDACTED."

"Care to explain this, Agents?"

Natasha answered with a question of her own, not bothering to hide her amusement. "Mind if we come meet the new hackers finally?"

That threw Hill off a little. "Excuse me? Now is not the time…"

"It is possible that there is a digital copy of some very… compromising, footage of Barton and myself out there."

Clint snorted. Hill squinted her eyes. "Was your cover blown?"

Clint rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes down, failing in hiding his grin. "Um, no, it was reinforced…" his voice trailed off.

Slowly, deliberately, a smile spread across Hill's face. "It's about damn time you two."

Natasha nodded her head, Clint shrugged his shoulders.

"I'll speak to them personally. They'll know the consequences if they let this footage out, even if it's just on the helicarrier. And thank you, Agents. You just won me a vacation."

Natasha raised an eyebrow. Hill continued. "Take one yourselves. You're officially on exceptional performance leave." Barton snorted. "I don't care where you go as long as you're back in this tower in a week and as long as you don't show up in Bora Bora for the next week."

Hill turned, pulling out her cell phone. "It's Hill. I need you to reserve me a jet to Bora Bora, immediately." Clint and Natasha looked at each other, and they could hear yelling in the background of Hill's phone call. "I'd show you the proof but it would make you blush director…" and with that Hill closed the door behind her.

xxxxxxxxxx

A couple days passed and Clint Barton was frustrated. It wasn't that he couldn't give Natasha space, it was just they'd had such an amazing night, and morning, together, and now… nothing. What was worse, she was being a little tease.

She'd brush up against him every chance she got. She'd touch him when she could see no one was looking.

But she was being careful not to be alone with him. When Clint would sneak into her room she wasn't there. She brushed off questions about where she was sleeping at night with, "checking up on contacts," or "crashed on the helicarrier after a long trainee session," and the like.

When Jarvis informed him that she had reentered the building he decided he'd had enough. He found Steve in the commons area.

"Hey Cap, I need a favor."

Steve put down the book he'd been reading. "Sure Clint. What do you need?"

"Go into your apartment on my mark. In 60 seconds leave with a gym bag in hand. Don't look at anyone. Just head to the elevator and tell me you'll see me in 10 minutes."

Steve furrowed his brows. "Uh, ok. Is something going on? Why not look at anyone?"

"Because if she sees your face she'll know you're lying." Clint rubbed the back of his neck. "Hell, we'll be lucky if she doesn't figure it out just by your voice."

"Natasha?"

"Yeah."

Steve chuckled. "Okay. I'll do my best to sound natural."

"NO!" Clint looked horrified. He quickly recomposed himself, smiling a little. "No. Don't think about it Steve, you'll make it worse. Just don't think. Then go to the gym level, wait there 30 seconds, then go out for a walk or something. Just don't come back to the gym tonight."

"Okaaaay… everything alright Clint?"

Hawkeye shot Steve a look of pure mischief. "Oh yeah. Everything is gonna be _exceptional_ very soon." Steve smiled. "You sure you're up for this Cap?"

Steve chucked. "This isn't my first time as a wing man, Barton."

Clint smiled and looked at the elevator. After waiting a few seconds, he spoke. "Go." The Captain did as he was told, a smile spreading across his face.

Steve gathered together a few things and threw them into a bag. _Don't think Steve, don't think Steve, don't…_ oh crap how much time had passed? He looked at the clock on the wall, as if it could help him. He hadn't bothered to check the second hand when he'd entered. He heard Natasha enter, and some words being exchanged. He waited a few moments, trying to guess when 60 seconds had passed, then opened the door.

_Don't think Steve, don't think, don't think, don't think…_ He got to the elevator and it opened. He walked in. _Don't think don't think don't think_, he hit the button for the gym. _Don't think, don't think, don't… OH CRAP what am I supposed to say?_ He opened his mouth, fearing he'd completely messed up already. The doors started closed and he spoke. "See you in 10, Clint. Hey, Natasha."

Clint looked at his partner, who was looking at the elevator.

"You in, Nat?"

She furrowed her eyebrows. "Did the Captain seem… tense, to you?"

Clint took a drink of his water. "Probably is. Hill's been ridin' his ass about SHIELD training, learning other languages and stuff. Even more reason for you to come."

Natasha though for a moment. "I suppose I should help some. I'll be down in 30." She smiled and started walking towards her apartment, her fingertips ghosting Clint's ass as she pasts.

He shivered. "Baby, you are askin' for it."

She smiled as she shut her door.

xxxxx

****WARNING: beginning of sexy scene here – but I don't actually describe the sex, just so you know** **

Natasha sauntered into the gym in her black cat suit. She was full-on in uniform, including her widow's bite gauntlets. She found Clint the same, and, as she'd expected, alone.

He grinned. "The good Captain suddenly realized he had a prior engagement to attend."

"Hmm," she responded simply, and continued her approach. Clint kept his posture casual, leaning against the wall by the sparring ring, but she knew _exactly_ what game he was playing.

He maintained his composure as she walked right up to him, invading his space. He stood then, and she looked up into his eyes, waiting. Heat radiated between them.

"So, you gonna throw me down and fuck me right now or am I gonna have to earn it?" No one could accuse him of beating around the bush, at least.

She smiled a sweet, innocent smile that thoroughly rattled him. "Oh shit…"

He barely had time to block her first blow and catch himself from falling backwards onto the mat.

It was a new dance, much more difficult than before, in which they tested each other's skill while simultaneously attempting to remove the other's clothing. It was thrilling and dangerous. Natasha cackled wildly as weapon and clothing went flying off Clint's body. Oh he got in little grabs here and there, but all he'd managed to do was pull her zipper down a little lower than she already had. She was egging him on, and he was waiting for just the right moment.

He found it.

In one fluid motion he whipped her suit off her shoulders and half-way down her arms, trapping them to her side. He slid off her gauntlets and tripped her, pushing her to her knees. She chuckled, and breathed against his neck.

"I'm more than deadly enough with just my legs, Barton."

He smiled. "Care to wrap them around my back, Romanoff?"

She tried to vault over him then, but he'd anticipated her. He countered, and threw her onto her back, and quickly took position above her. He used his superior weight and strength to pin down her legs and body.

"Getting a little dominant, Barton?" Her voice was rough.

In response he pressed down into her harder, grinding his growing erection against her. He bit at her ear, whispering. "Maybe I am."

He brought one hand down to rub against her core. She held her breath.

"Maybe you like it."

Suddenly he replaced his hand with his face, and he was sucking and humming through her suit. She moaned ever so slightly and arched her back, and he knew he had won.

Natasha wiggled her arms out of her suit and pulled Clint up to her, taking him in a deep kiss. He broke away and she went to work hastily removing his clothes. "God Nat, you have no idea how many times I've fantasized about doing this here…"

She grinned at his admission, wondering which one of them had actually been turned on first when they had started sparring all those years ago. She found herself marveling at his patience with her for too many years, and for the last few days. She licked her lips as she tore off his sweaty shirt, ready to make it up to him.

****NOTICE: end of sexy scene** (note for those who skipped it – 'it' happened during sparring)**

xxxxx

Later that night the team, including Pepper, assembled at a large table for dinner. It had been a while since they'd all been able to meet together socially, considering their differing duties.

Once everyone arrived the food was served and Thor immediately began discussion anew on recent battle victories. Because really, what else does one discuss at a feast with friends?

The conversation eventually shifted to Clint and Natasha's recent mission. They'd managed to steer mostly clear from discussing it so far, but they were captive now. While Natasha was not above walking out on dinner she knew Clint was enjoying this time with his, no, _their_, friends, so she would just have to make the best of it.

They took turns describing their roles, with Clint taking over to explain how their false identities were supposed to interact, with Clint acting as Natasha's 'john.'

Steve got red in the face. Bruce and Pepper were actively trying to hide grins. Thor was trying to ask Pepper why Clint would be called "John" when he'd established a different name for his cover, and Tony, of course, opened his mouth.

"Oh man, that's gotta be so…" Tony froze. "Hawkward. That's so hawkward!"

A group groan came up from the table. "What?" Pepper patted Tony on the back. "That's a lovely attempt, Tony, now why don't you tell us all about the recent upgrades to your armor."

Tony made a face. "Excellent attempt at redirection, Ms. Potts, and… I think I'll bite, since sticks in the mud here won't have any juicy stories to tell us anyway." He turned to face the assassins. "You know, for super secret spies whose days and nights are filled with intrigue and action you two have excessively boring social lives."

Natasha shrugged her shoulders, and Clint frowned, adding, "You have NO idea, Stark."

Just then Pepper's phone played a short little tune. Her face lit up just a touch at the sound, and she went to look at the screen.

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Boyfriend just text you Pepper?"

She rolled her eyes. "Ha ha you would know if he did, Mr. Stark. No, I just got a story update." She immediately realized she shouldn't have said that.

"Story update?" Steve asked. "You mean those fan fiction stories?"

Tony answered for her, much to her chagrin. "Oh yeah. She _loves_ those things. Especially the Clintasha stories, right Pep?"

She ignored him, her face hiding in her hands. Natasha raised an eyebrow. Clint looked shocked.

"Pepper?" Clint just had to know.

"Alright, alright, I admit it, I read the things." Tony crossed his arms. "Okay! I follow them, I favorite them, I reply and…" she scrunched her face in apology to Natasha, "I… _give suggestions_ to the writers…"

Natasha was so shocked she couldn't hide it, her mouth dropping open. Pepper continued, barely audible this time, "I may have written a short story or two…"

"Pepper!" Steve jumped up from the table, aghast at her admission. "But that information could be used…"

Tony raised his hand to silence his teammate. "Don't worry Steve, she doesn't divulge any actual information. In fact, she makes up false stuff about our lives and the tower, and no one knows it's her, they think she's a housewife from Arizona. Plus I review all her work before posting."

Natasha snorted. "Well, _that_ puts me at ease…"

"I review them too," Bruce added, his head down.

Clint threw his arms up in the air and laughed. "Well, I'm glad we can be such a source of _amusement_ to everyone…"

Thor stood, surprising everyone, and spoke. "My friends, I have read these stories you speak of. Perhaps it would be best for us all if we read the stories written of us instead of each other." He grinned. "For you, Lady Pepper, I would recommend a story named "Christian Gray vs. Pepper Potts."

Natasha snorted so loud everyone turned to look at her. "Yep, I've read that one. I'm particularly fond of my vagina rant from that story." All the men, except Thor, were thoroughly confused. "I highly recommend it. Although, I may use that little speech here shortly if you don't all shut up and change the subject…"

The men were happy to oblige.

xxxxx

Natasha remained after dinner to help Bruce clean up. She was surprised to find herself feeling… content. Instead of experiencing concern over where her newfound 'relationship' with Agent Barton would go and how it could change their partnership, she was simply looking forward to a relaxing evening with him. She checked his apartment first, but he wasn't there. She went to her place next, and finding it empty, she questioned Jarvis regarding Clint's whereabouts.

"Agent Barton left the premises 20 minutes ago. He has instructed me to direct your attention to an envelope on your desk."

She opened it to find a hastily scribbled note in barley-legible handwriting.

"Natasha Romanoff, will you go on a date with me?"

She snorted a quick laugh, and continued reading.

"Meet me here…" she realized he had given her coordinates.

She smiled in spite of her annoyance. Clint was right. A 'normal' first date just wouldn't do. She opened her laptop and got to work.

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**WOW sorry this was so late. Life happens, & since I'm not being paid to write this so it went to the bottom of the priority list. Note: obviously this story is its own universe. I recently read some older Black Widow mini-series issues and learned that ballet was a lie the Red Room put in her head – she never actually did it. Oh well. Story referenced in this chapter was "Christian Grey vs. Pepper Potts" – by Imarra Pendaran**.

**Special thanks to my trusty betas: What's that on the wall & Jabberswife, & to my reviewers from Chapter 15: Precious93, ShadowBeats22107, Michelle, Gaby de Brabant, DragonScaleXV, ksp2010, Guagua, any-opt-will-do, 26wolfhawke, Esha Napoleon, Pati G W Black, traceuse, Storm Gryffis, IntoTheDarkness29, Lily, the Black and White Soul, **

**The next chapter is the last for this story, but not these characters! 'Follow' me as a writer on this site and get updates when I post something new. LOTS in the works right now! Don't forget to check out my one-shots, they'll be put together eventually into a chapter story, so be the first to read them & have the inside scoop! & please review if you can. **


	17. Our Cabin

"Avengers: Fanfiction"

**I don't own any character mentioned in this chapter. (But seriously, Fraction, DeConnick, Spencer, Marvel whoever: I'll let you use my stuff if you want, just no character relationship swapping without permission). Did I mention FREE? Because yeah, free. **

**This chapter is rated T for implied themes and cursing. **

**Where we left off last time: Clint & Natasha got back from their mission & 'enjoyed' some team-building. & had more sex. Clint invited Natasha on a date, but only gave her coordinates. **

**This is it, the last chapter of this story. Enjoy! **

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**Chapter 13: "Our Cabin"**

Natasha Romanoff really did love the North American Rocky Mountains.

They had all the beauty, the foliage, the mountains, and the wildlife of her homeland and any other mountainous region, but generally better weather. It was becoming more difficult to find truly wild, remote places within North America, where one could count on not seeing another human being during the entirety of their stay.

Leave it to Barton to find such a place.

Granted, it was no easy task to get here. She checked her topo again, and ran some calculations in her head. She'd left the National Park and started bush-wacking two and a half days ago, all the while keeping a brisk pace. But she knew she was getting close. She looked up. Apparently one last challenge lay ahead; about 1,500 feet of switchbacks.

She smiled. The man had taste.

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She rested at the top of a ridge that wound around a crystal clear lake below. The sun shone in her face, and the cool breeze teased her hair. The glacial cirqe below her sported a high-rising mountain on the other side, still partially covered in snow. She was close now, and she knew it.

She looked down into the valley, close to 1,000 feet below. The lake gave way to a small meadow, and at the edge, near the trees, sat a small cabin. Her heart skipped a beat. Light smoke rose from the chimney, and she could see someone walking outside the cabin.

She smiled as she began her descent into Heaven.

When she was within 50 yards she crested a small hill and the cabin came into view. It was a small log cabin, and looking as if it had been built by hand. Its occupant was outside, chopping wood. The smell of a wood fire wafted to her nostrils and she breathed it in greedily. This was wonderful.

She didn't have Clint's eyes, so she squinted somewhat at the person outside the cabin. It was a man, about 5'11'' she estimated, with messed sandy hair, his back to her. As she continued her approach she could see rippling chords of muscle across his back and arms. Sweat glistened on his body in the sun, and she found warmth growing in her belly.

She was getting close now, and she found her heart rate increasing and her breath coming more ragged. She swallowed audibly as she felt desire grow within her, and adjusted her shirt to better display her figure. It had only been a few days, but it had been too long since she'd seen him. It had been too long since she'd taken in his smell and his taste. It had been too long since she'd been able to touch him, and be touched by him. She almost laughed at herself as she allowed the realization that she'd missed her partner, her friend, her lover…

He stopped after splitting one last log and tilted his head to the side, listening. He turned slowly, and she found herself not twenty feet from her partner, at the one safe house he had yet to reveal to her, the cabin he had built with his own hands. "Clint…" she whispered.

He turned and his stormy blue eyes danced with life. She found herself suddenly unable to move, breathless at the sight of him.

"Natasha…" he sighed in relief. It had been FAR too long. He jogged over to towards her, grinning like a stupid puppy, and stopped one foot in front of her. He reached up with one hand, cupping her cheek. He leaned forward and kissed her gently, chastely even, on the lips. Then he turned her slightly, lifting the weight of the pack from her back to assist her in removing it.

"Ever the gentlemen, Barton," she grinned, mischief forming in her eyes.

"Only for the most accomplished of ladies, my dear," he replied as he sat her pack down.

"You always greet your guests in such… formal… attire?" Natasha crossed her hands, looking his sweaty, _naked_, chest up and down.

He laughed, wiping the sweat from his brow. She watched his muscles flex as he did. "Naw, this is only for you babe."

She actually blushed a little. _Great, the man doesn't need any more ego, _she thought to herself. But she still couldn't force her eyes to keep contact with his.

He smirked. "Like what you see Romanoff?"

She forcefully tore her eyes off of his glistening arms and surveyed the environment, changing the subject.

"It's not exactly secure Barton. So much line of sight…"

He waived his hand to dismiss her concern and picked up her pack, heading towards the cabin. She followed. "Don't worry Nat. I've got the entire perimeter covered with the latest solar-powered, mini-arc reactor back-up Stark surveillance tech. Shoot, I've got eyes and motion on the surrounding five miles."

She smiled. Maybe this could be her perfect hideaway…

"It's pretty handy when I need to hunt." He turned to her. "You ever had backstrap?"

She ignored the comment and looked to the sky. "And satellites?"

He started towards the cabin, pointing to a small metallic dome on its roof.

She smiled. "The latest Stark cloaking tech?"

He sat her bag down against the cabin. "Yes."

"So, we could relax out here in the open and no one would know?"

He stalked back towards her, fierceness in his eyes. "That's not all we could do in the open…"

He was close now, so close. She took in a quick breath, and spoke softly, despite their isolation.

"We could even… kiss…" he started nibbling on her neck. She shivered. "… out here, and no one would see?"

"MmmHmm."

She gasped as he started using his tongue. "And Stark?"

Clint chuckled and stood up. "He doesn't know it's here. Bruce did quality control and I took delivery."

He pulled her to the cabin, and she let him.

She looked up into his eyes. "Well, Agent Barton, I'm quite impressed."

He opened the door and looked her over, eyes lingering on her breasts. "The night is young, Agent Romanoff."

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Later, after a little reunion sex, the two assassins laid in each other's arms. Natasha couldn't remember a time that she felt more content. Clint had been a tender and generous lover, and she was taken aback. Who knew the man could be so, versatile? Who knew she would actually _like _slow, worshipful sex? She actually felt gratitude to her partner and lover, and she was aching in a place that had nothing to do with physical exertion. Was this what it was to swoon? She made a mental note to ask Jane Foster about it later.

She could tell Clint was getting a little restless, so she wasn't surprised when he reached over to a nightstand and pulled a tablet from a drawer.

Natasha looked at the electronic devise he had produced. "This place has internet?"

"Yep, only the finest Stark tech."

"But, _why_ Clint? Don't you want to be unreachable?"

He shrugged his shoulder. "Yeah, but I also wanted to be able to read fanfiction."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Nope. There's one for you too, Tash," he said, motioning towards the nightstand nearest her. "Come on, let's see who can find the most ridiculous story. Or maybe the sexiest?"

After further prodding Natasha at least turned on her device. Clint seemed engrossed in his search when he spoke up again.

"So, Tasha… what was the first fanfiction that you…" he grinned, and ran his hand down her belly. "Well, you know…"

"Honestly Barton, you can be like talking to an awkward high school virgin."

He made a partial attempt at tickling her, which he knew would fail. The Black Widow had no such weaknesses. "Come-on, Nat, play along, or at least tell me one of your favorites."

He held out his tablet to her, displaying his selection. "Here, how about this one? It's a story about your stay in Malibu as Natalie Rushman." She rolled her eyes. "Oh, you'll like this Tasha. I come by and help you… work off some of your steam." He wags his eyebrows at her, then adds, "In your office."

She laughs genuinely now, and takes a look at the story. "If only. Next time I get a shitty assignment it's your duty to find a way to do this for me, Barton."

"Yes ma'am."

Natasha read through a different story. "Ha! This writer has your personality pretty good…" she pointed at a line in the story where, after sex, Clint commented 'I really do love how you think I'm god."

Clint laughed. "Damn! I should have thought of that one! I may start using it though…" he said as he nuzzled his face in between her breasts.

She smacked him on the back of his head. "Hey! What was that for?"

"I'm trying to read here."

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, _now_ you want to read. Okay Romanoff, you're on. I'll find the nastiest Clintasha smut I can find and read it to you."

They went about their fanfiction challenge a little longer, when Clint spoke up again.

"There's so many that try to fit us into a normal life, it's crazy." He paused. "Do you think we could even _be_ normal, Tash?"

"We're not exactly what you'd call normal." She gestured to her surroundings as an example. "This isn't exactly a normal first date, Barton."

He smirked. "Whoever said I _wanted _normal, Romanoff?" She shrugged her shoulders, accepting his point. Next it was her turn to point out a story.

"Clint, look at this one," she turned her tablet so he could read it. The title of the story was 'The Pool.' Her eyes shined with mischief. "Care to make a little money?"

He scanned the story, laughing as he did. "There are a lot of gullible agents on the Hellicarrier. Why not?"

"And don't forget Stark. Plus I think Hill would be a willing co-conspirator, especially after a relaxing tropical vacation…"

The two continued searching the stories, trying to top the other with what they could find.

After letting out a sigh, Clint spoke again. "Good god there's a ton of fictions about us having kids. And apparently my sperm prefer baby girls."

Natasha simply responded with a "Mmmm…" and continued her search.

A few minutes later Natasha was starting to wonder if Clint had drifted back to sleep when he spoke. " I think I'd like to have a daughter."

Natasha froze. Clint noticed the shift in her emotions as old habits tried to kick in. But instead of clamming up, her usual M.O., she took a chance and spoke. "Thought you didn't want normal, Barton."

He could hear the strain in her voice, but honestly he was surprised that she'd spoken at all. He knew the pain she held within her from the loss of her baby all those decades ago, and for what the Red Room had done to ensure she would not carry a child to term in the future.

He signed inwardly. He knew this would never be an easy discussion, and he regretted bringing it up so soon. He was an idiot.

"It should be your choice, Nat. So many choices were taken from you." He gently brushed a strand of hair out of her face. She looked up at him.

"So you want to have a daughter with _me_?"

Oops.

"I… well, I'm just sayin', if it's something you're interested in, you DO live with two of the smartest men on the planet. Maybe they could duplicate that Black Widow suppressant you told me about before…"

She sighed. There were some drawbacks to having a friend that you told everything to and then slept with…

"You still haven't answered my question, Barton."

He ran a hand through his hair. "Yes, okay? Yes. Jesus Nat, we just started this 'us' thing and I don't want to freak you out but honestly I've been thinking of 'us' for years now, so…"

She smiled just a little, and cupped his cheek. "Slow down there, tiger. I'm not saying it isn't something I've considered either. But how about we just take one thing at a time for a while, hmm?"

He chuckled. "Fair enough. But you are going to have to accept that I'm in love with you, you know that right?"

She kept her mouth shut. If love was for children and she was even considering the possibility of having a child someday… well, she'd deal with that later. What she knew now was that for the first time in a long time, she was happy, and life held promise and possibility.

"Like I said, let me adjust to one thing at a time, Clint." She smiled. He smiled back, and buried his face in her hair.

"That's good enough for me, babe."

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The End.

**What an amazing ride this story has been. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. A special thanks to my awesome betas Jabberswife and What's that on the wall! Also thanks to my reviewers from Chapter 16: ShadowBeats22107, Guest, DragonScaleXV, Precious93, ksp2010, Pati G W Black, paintallthestuff, Lily, Esha Napoleon, TwoSidesOfACrazyCoin, traceuse, pure-class-princess and 26wolfhawke! (& paintallthestuff from chapter 15, I forgot you last time)**

**Stories referenced in this chapter: "stress relief part 2" by ShadowBeats22107 and "The Pool" By Alpha Flyer.**

**My next projects: **

**My muse is currently obsessed with Clintasha in the comic universe. It's demanding that I write one-shots about how Clint & Natasha's partnership & friendship develops into more. Basically trying to come up with a way for them to get together in the comics that's logical and in-character. I'll put these together into a chapter story eventually, so read them now & have the inside scoop! (I'm secretly hoping a Marvel writer will read them and use some of my stuff. I'm offering it to them for FREE, after all. I can at least dream). **

**I think the next CHAPTER story that has been begging me to write it the loudest will be called "Avengers Instruction." It'll be movie-verse Clintasha, with the whole team and a little Tony/Pepper & maybe others. Again no slash. The basic premise is that Fury has the team give each other lessons on their strengths, in case one team member is unavailable someone else may have at least a working knowledge of their skills to do what needs to get done. The guys go first. ****Each class is a flop. But then it's Natasha's turn. Oh my, are the boys interested - the art of seduction, & more. This could get interesting…**

**Also I'm starting to adapt some of my fanfictions into comic book scripts. Anyone familiar with these or have written some before willing to review mine? Anyone know an interested artist?**

**Anyone want to Beta my next project(s)? I'm thinking I'd like to have at least 2 betas on each story, because it worked well with this one. Let me know! **


	18. Review Replies and Author Note

Thank you again to everyone who's read and enjoyed this fic. I'm working on a sort-of sequel at the moment, so 'follow' me as an author and you'll get the story as soon as it's out!

To reply to some of my reviewers: I don't think Renner is going to be in Cap 2. HOWEVER, there is a pic of Johannson at the filming location, in costume/character, wearing what appears to be an arrow necklace. Google it. What do you think? As for the comics, I think it's a real possibility, but it won't happen immediately. BUT – when asked about Clintasha in comics from a movie fangirl (well, me) Brian Michael Bendis (really important dude in Marvel comics) said I should read Hawkeye (written by Matt Fraction) and Avengers Assemble (written by Kelly Sue DeConnick. Those 2 writers are married, btw). I'll take that as a hint (and hope I'm not wrong!), and good news to us Clintasha shippers.

A/N: Also, as a special treat for my loyal readers – I've completed my first comic book script! It's based off of and posted as the second chapter of one of my other stories: "Hawkeye: A track suit Spider." If anyone is an artist (or knows one) and wants to attempt drawing this, go for it! Just don't make money off of it, and send it to me! I'd LOVE to post it on my tumblr! (also you loyal fans, and enemies alike I suppose, you can follow me on tumblr – I post there as sv4me) I'd be VERY happy to work with you on it! If you have questions or ideas (I understand different artists want different things in their script, and may have a better idea than me) please PM me! If you know an artist recommend this to them! (I'm already working with a couple artists but I'm greedy and want to see more styles and learn to improve my writing even further) This is my first comic script so it may need some changes to make it work. Then maybe we could send it to Fraction, eh? ;)

& thanks again for reading!

And do remember, trolling is only okay if done for charity. (Clint & Natasha wanted to remind everyone) ;-)


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